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Post by Katerina M. Montgomery on Nov 12, 2015 4:53:50 GMT
Katerina glanced around at their surroundings as her horse walked side by side with Roland's. They had been riding for two days already, making their way to Van'ostgar to be there for Mercy's wedding to Keiran. It was going to be a great day for all of them, full of dancing and drinking and...well she wouldn't go there. But her eyes did go from their surroundings to the man riding beside her. Smiling to herself she reigned her horse over until the mare bumped into Roland's horse and she laughed playfully. Her brown eyes gazing up at his slightly taller form, even on horseback he was taller than her. Roland was definitely her knight in shining armor. He was everything she had ever imagined as a littler girl, handsome, nice, attentive... he was always there for her when she happened to need him most. "What are you thinking about, you're being much too quiet at the moment." Kat said, keeping her mare up next to his horse so that their legs rubbed together in the most intriguing of ways. She hated that just because he had been born a bastard... Gods did she hate that word, he was considered an ill fit for her for marriage. She knew that if she just wore down on her father a little longer he would realize eventually that being born without a title didn't mean that Roland was worth less in a marriage agreement. "I can't wait to finally get there. I haven't seen Mercy in far too long and her wedding, oh Roland it's going to be beautiful. I can just imagine it now. It'll probably be just like she and I always talked about." Katerina said, unable to keep herself from gushing with excitement about her best friends wedding. Roland was Keiran's half brother after all, so it made sense that she could talk to him about these things. She was smiling brightly as ever, happy to be out and traveling for once without her father's watchful eyes keeping tabs on her every move. It was like being free, if only for a short amount of time. And she was with the love of her life so that made it even better. Katerina glanced around them at the men that traveled with them, they were all trusted men of Eli's, though they were all rather boring and stuffy to travel with. She was beginning to bore of going the same pace for so long. Giving Roland a mischievous glance she nudged him in the side and said quietly "I bet you that I can make it to that little crop of trees up there faster than you can." Kat threw him one last playful look before kicking her mare and bolting away from her guards and towards the crop of trees she had just pointed out to Roland. Kat |
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Post by John S. Rhodes on Nov 12, 2015 7:12:37 GMT
Roland honestly didn't give two shits about his little brother's wedding. Call him envious, but it should have been him sitting on that throne, not Keiran. From the moment he was conceived, Roland's life was riddled with unfairness. He may have been the first born of the king of Van'Ostgar, but titles had been denied of him. He was a bastard and therefore everything that should have been his was handed straight to Keiran. He was behind even Athena in the line of succession.
As if that wasn't bad enough, he couldn't have the one woman he'd always wanted. He thought for sure that she'd be his after John's death, but her father made that incredibly difficult. The man refused to allow a bastard to marry his daughter... either that or he was simply refusing to let Roland himself marry her. That would all change though. Once Roland was considered a hero in King Eli's eyes, Katerina was as good as his.
Of course he felt sorry about what she was about to go through, but he was doing it all for them. Hearing her gush about Mercy didn't help to erase his concern for her. She wasn't going to be happy when her best friend was found dead alongside Keiran. Mercy wasn't an entirely necessary casualty, but Roland also couldn't risk her getting in the way of him becoming king or marrying Kat. Like Keiran and Athena, she was going to have to die. Kat was going to be devastated... but he would be there to pick up the pieces, as always.
When she spoke, his eyes wandered to her and he tried not to be too serious. His mind was on the events to come, but he wanted to enjoy the ride with her. It would be a little while before he saw her again, but the separation was entirely necessary if they wanted to be together. "I'm thinking about someone. This very beautiful woman and how crazy she drives me," he said, smirking and arching a brow at her before glancing over his shoulder at the guards. He knew they didn't have much longer to go.
"I'm sure the wedding is going to be wonderful... but there's another wedding I would much rather go to..." He laughed, even though he was completely serious. Katerina drove him insane and he loved her more with each passing day. If he couldn't have her, nobody could. Smirking playfully as she bumped against him rode so close that their legs touched, he felt a wave of desire. She didn't make it easy to resist her and her playful nature was always so refreshing.
He wasn't the least bit surprised when the love of his life bet him this. "Are you sure that wise, princess?" he asked, but she was already off. The guards behind them practically had a coronary and Roland galloped after her, the guards hot on his heels. It was then that it happened. Even though he knew to expect it, it still made him jump when an arrow shot through the air, piercing her mare's hindquarters. "KAT!" Roland screamed, watching the horse rear. Those fucking bastards were supposed to be more careful than that!
Soldiers were descending upon them from all sides, hidden all around them. Steel clashed against steel and Roland unsheathed his own sword, using it to feel his "enemies." Actually, he just needed to kill and fight back so that it wouldn't look suspicious. "KAT, RUN!" he yelled to her, even though he knew she wouldn't make it far at all.
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Post by Katerina M. Montgomery on Nov 12, 2015 17:58:43 GMT
Katerina's mare was in mid stride, already almost to the outcropping so fast she just new she was going to beat Roland to it this time, when she heard the arrow hit her horse and sink deep into the muscles in her hindquarters. The mare stumbled, that alone almost unseated her but then they were surrounded by men and her horse reared unexpectedly sending Kat tumbling off onto the ground. Mid fall she heard Roland yell at her though she didn't register it until after a moment when she regained the air that had been knocked out of her lungs. As he yelled at her to run she looked at him, pausing to watch as he fought against their unknown attackers. Her horse made a distressed sound and she was torn. Help the injured animal... or listen to Roland and run. Kat cursed herself in that moment because as she watched her father's men dying around her she fled in terror leaving her horse with an arrow sticking our of its flank and took off on foot.
She was grateful for the riding boots she had worn for the journey, but the dress was entirely unsuitable for running away in an area full of trees and underbrush. The snagging of fabric slowed her down entirely too much and she could hear the sound of people chasing after her. Gods why was this happening? Katerina thought as her foot caught on a root and she stumbled to the ground. The footsteps were gaining on her and she just knew that she was going to be caught... but with her new lower vantage point she noticed a thicket... if she could just crawl into it surely they would lose track of her. As she crawled she slowly became aware of the throbbing in her left leg that had obviously been muted with from the adrenaline and terror coursing through her as she had fled. It was now becoming painful to even crawl, she must have twisted it when she had fallen out of the saddle.
Katerina was almost there, had just stuck her head inside the brush when a hand grabbed a handful of her long dark brown hair and yanked back hard. She cried out involuntarily as the pulled her by her hair to her feet and she got a good look at the men that had chased after her. They were all disgusting, looked as if they hadn't bathed in months and reeked of piss and booze and she thought she might vomit, especially as the man who held her by her hair pulled her up flush to his body and she felt the obvious erection he had. The idea of what these men might do to her had her fighting his grasp. The men only laughed "This one's feisty..." one of the other men said as he walked up and grabbed her face, rubbing his thumb over her lips. Kat didn't know what came over her but she looked directly into his eyes and bit down hard on his thumb, so hard it drew blood.
Cursing the man ripped his thumb from between her teeth and backhanded her so hard she thought she would black out... "Fucking bitch! Come on let's get her back." The guy practically spat in her face even as the other men laughed saying that she had spirit and talking about how their king was going to enjoy having her as a hostage. Still holding her by the hair the marched her back the way she came and Katerina did her best not to let on that she had injured her leg... the last thing she wanted was to let on that she was weak in any way. "Let me go!" She finally said struggling futilely as they came into the clearing where there were still men fighting. Her eyes found Roland immediately and she watched as he fought bravely against two men.
She was so sure that he would defeat them and then rescue her from these disgusting men that at first she didn't register it when she saw him stabbed through with a sword... As she watched him fall Katerina thought surely he was faking, he couldn't have actually let himself be hurt. But as the realization sank through her she screamed, her heart feeling like it was shattering at the idea that her beloved Roland might die "ROLAND! Roland get up! Roland!!! She renewed her attempts to break free from them, wanting to get to him and heal him before it was too late. But even as she struggled, not caring that strands of hair were being ripped painfully from her scalp, she felt a sudden sharp pain agaaints the back of her head and then... blackness.
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Post by John S. Rhodes on Nov 13, 2015 4:21:35 GMT
Roland was fighting fiercely, but he was anticipating letting them win. He had to, otherwise his plan wasn't going to work. When she bolted, a part of him actually feared that she might get away. Then what the hell would he do? Having been knocked from his saddle, his horse bolting, the man found himself going at it with two opponents, just as she was being dragged back into sight. He swore, if any of them went against his and Benjen's orders and hurt her in any way, he would slit their throats himself.
Kicking on of them back, making him stumble and fall, Roland turned his attention to to his other opponent, already anticipating it. Planned or not, feeling the sword slice through him at a point where it wouldn't hit anything vital was painful as hell. A part of him contemplated stabbing the man back just for the pain he'd cause him, but he remembered his promise to Benjen. No men would fall by his hand and Katerina would be safe in his care. With that in mind, he let his sword drop as though he could just no longer bare the weight of it. As the sword was removed from his thoroughly skewered body, he stumbled back, clutching at the bloody wound. Fuck that hurt. Falling to his knees, his head was pounding as he heard her screaming for him. His opponent stepped over him as he collapsed, leaving him to die. "KAT!" he yelled after her, watching them take her away as if there was nothing he could do. There were a few other survivors, essential as his witnesses to the events that transpired.
Now all that was left was for him to take care of this wound and head back to her father where he would earn his favor by swearing to rescue her.
They used to explore the halls and passageways as children, getting into all sorts of trouble together and going on adventures. As children, they'd felt so free in the corridors of Hrothgard's palace. Now they were both prisoners there, desperate for escape. When Katerina had been dragged into the palace by her uncle's men, Lydia had been equally horrified and relieved. In no way did she enjoy her friend being in danger and she truly wished that Katerina was back in Arengar where she belonged and where she was safe. Another part of her, however, was desperate for the company of a trusted friend. Since her father's death, she was surrounded by enemies and worst of all was her uncle.
Aiden had promised that he was coming back for her. Holding onto her locket and rubbing her thumb across the surface, she slid her opposite hand over her stomach, clearly anxious. He'd promised and she believed him. But would he be too late? It was only a matter of time before their secret was revealed. Not only had she gone against Benjen's orders and married Aiden in secret, but she was pregnant with his child. If that didn't fuck up Benjen's plans to marry her, his own niece, himself... well, she didn't know what would. He would surely kill her for her treachery... or take her baby from her. He was nothing more than a usurper, having murdered his own brother to seize the throne and then denied Lydia her rightful position as queen.
Standing in front of the window in her bed chambers, the princess of Hrothgard turned her green eyes to her dear friend and the only person she could truly trust with Aiden gone. Night had fallen across the realm and a fierce storm was raging outside. "We'll leave together," she said to Kat as the wind and rain pounded against the windows.
"I know I should wait for Aiden, but I won't be able to keep this baby a secret for long, Kat." Crossing the room and taking her friend's hands, she squeezed them comfortingly. "I can't stay here and neither can you. If we can get out of here together, I can find a way to send word to Aiden. He'll find us... he can lead your father's men to us. But we can't just sit here and wait... I'm a ticking time bomb, Kat, and I don't even want to fathom what's in store for you."
No harm had befallen Katerina during her stay. She was well fed and protected, but that didn't mean she wasn't in danger. Lydia knew all too well that this only meant that her uncle had something in store for her and she wasn't willing to figure out what it was. She had been Kat's friend since they were children and there was no way she was going to just let someone touch her. Lydia had only just revealed the truth to her friend... about her pregnancy and marriage. She'd only just come to the realization that she was pregnant that morning, but she wasn't going to sit around and wait for he uncle to find out. "I'm afraid to run, but I'm more afraid of what Benjen will do to me and the baby if I stay... and I'm afraid of what will happen to you. You need to come with me, please." Lightning struck outside, momentarily lighting up the room that was lit by a number of candles and a fire in the hearth. Rolling thunder soon followed, loud and roaring in the night.
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Post by Katerina M. Montgomery on Nov 13, 2015 6:02:27 GMT
Katerina couldn't even begin to think of how being kidnapped and then held hostage would have been if it hadn't been for Lydia. The fact that her uncle Benjen had been behind her being kidnapped had actually quite pissed Kat off, but having Lydia to talk to every day helped stop her from doing anything stupid like confront the bastard and give him a piece of her mind. It was also a blessing that the man let them hang out at all, though he probably didn't think that two princesses could really get into much trouble when they were being watched like hawks. Having grown up with a practically constant guard she knew how to spot them even when they were trying to be discreet... She didn't think Benjen cared about being discreet though.
She sat there on Lydia's listening to her spill her secret about marrying Aiden right under Benjen's nose and how she was now pregnant. Honestly Kat admired her friends courage to go against her uncle and marry the man she loves. Why couldn't Kat have had the courage to do that as well? Her father definitely couldn't have done anything once she and Roland were married and had already consummated that marriage. She would have no longer been fit to marry any man... noble or otherwise. Of course Kat had already spilled her guts about her feelings for Roland to Lydia and how her father had denied all her pleas to let them marry.
Just thinking about him, how he had been ran through with a sword and had fallen there bleeding out into the grass, made tears form in her eyes and threatened to spill over. God she hoped he had survived, that he and her father were coming to rescue her... She looked up at Lydia a she began talking about escaping. Why hadn't she suggested that? Probably because she thought it would be impossible. But with it coming from her friends mouth it sounded so much more plausible. Katerina also knew Lydia spoke the truth. She had no intention of finding out why the usurper wanted her there for, or what she was leverage for.
Kat squeezed Lydia's hand back and nodded "You're right, we can't stay... you definitely won't be safe from him if he finds out. I like my chances of surviving out in the snow and ice much more than my chances locked up in this palace while your uncle is lording over the kingdom." She said with complete conviction. If they didn't try to escape now, then they might never get the chance again. "This may sound silly, but I'm glad that the one kingdom that could have kidnapped me that it happened to be the one you are the princess of." Kat added pulling her friend in for a genuine hug.
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Post by Lydia G. Van Helsing on Nov 14, 2015 1:57:48 GMT
Lydia held Kat tight, her embrace warm and comforting. Though it had been a while since she had been able to embrace her friend like this, she just wished she'd been able to do so under better circumstances. With her chin on Kat's shoulder, she looked over toward the windows at the icy rain falling from the skies. Northern Hrothgard was always cold, their winters freezing and their summers chilly. Lydia would much rather endure the cold summer rain as opposed to the freezing winter snow.
"Thanks... but let's just hope that our next visit goes a little differently," Lydia responded, pulling back. "We need to leave tonight. I know the storm is going to make it difficult, but it will make it harder for them to follow us too..." She was nervous, certainly, but she wasn't going to let Benjen touch a single hair on her baby's head. Aiden wouldn't get to her before she started to show and she couldn't send word to him with Benjen around, so she was going to go to him. At least with Kat there, she wasn't in it alone.
"When you go back to your chambers, act like you're going to sleep. I'll come up with a way to distract the guards and get them to leave their post outside your door. When they do, meet me in the secret passage behind the painting of the old man." She spoke in a low voice out of fear of being overheard. Though she was sure that the guards outside her room could not hear their conversation, she had to be sure.
"I'll bring you clothes to change into because trust me... it's a lot harder to run away in a dress. I've tried it before..." Lydia would admit that she'd tried to run away and failed before, but she had learned a lot from each of her failed attempts. "Your father and his men are guaranteed to be searching for you. With any luck, we may be able to find them once we get out of here."
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Post by Katerina M. Montgomery on Nov 14, 2015 3:38:12 GMT
Kat gave a little bit of a laugh at Lydia's comment about hoping their next visit went differently because she definitely had to agree with her on that. This definitely wasn't her ideal way of getting back in touch with her friend that was for sure. Of course she most definitely wanted out of this place but one look out the windows at the weather had her apprehensive about their chances to say the least. Katerina wasn't accustomed to such cold winters and figured that she would surely freeze to death before she and Lydia could ever find any kind of help. But she wasn't one to turn down what could be her only chance at freedom... nor could she knowingly let her newly pregnant friend runaway into that weather alone.
Kat nodded slightly as Lydia spoke, telling her to act like she was going to bed and wait until the guards left their post at her door, then sneak off to a secret passageway. She only hoped that she would remember how to get there without a problem. It had been quite a few years since she had been in the Hrothgard palace, and even after a month of walking the halls she still found herself down the wrong one at least twice a day. But she had to be confident she would remember because she couldn't possibly put Lydia in more danger by being caught before they ever got to escape. "I'll be there, don't worry." Kat told her with confidence she didn't quite feel, then with one last hug made her way back to her bed chamber which funnily enough had been hers when she had visited as a child and young teen as well. She hoped with all her heart that Lydia was right and that her father and his men were looking for her.
She had done it, had managed to slip out and away before they could come back to their post at her door. Kat could only hope that it would be some time yet before the peered into her room to see if she was still there... good thing she had had the thought of making it look like she were under the covers using blankets, pillows and other items of clothing she could find. It had even looked rather convincing when she had stood at the door. Katerina just hoped that it would give them enough of a chance.
A door creaked open in the distance and she paused, her heart beating so loudly she thought it surely echoed down the hallway. When she didn't hear any footsteps coming her way she continued on, tiptoeing through the corridors and pausing at any sound, identifying it and then moving on again. Honestly it took her far too long in her opinion to get to the painting Lydia had described... it was a good thing there was only one old man painting in the damn palace.
Running her hands against the wall she found the door opening with her fingers easily enough and cringed as it made the slightest of creaks as she opened it and slipped inside. "Lydia?" She whispered as she shut the door behind her and watched as the passageway went pitch black around her. Hopefully Lydia had had the good sense to bring a lantern with her, otherwise they could very well die in there.
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Post by Lydia G. Van Helsing on Nov 14, 2015 20:49:43 GMT
She was out of breath. Having thoroughly distracted the guards for Kat, Lydia had to double back around just to make it to the passageway where they had arranged to meet. With a lantern in her hand, the princess looked down both ends of the hall to ensure that she hadn't been followed. When she was sure that she was alone, she opened the passageway. "Behind you," she said to Kat, sealing the passage behind her as she stepped through. Setting the lantern down on the ground, Lydia started pulling clothes out of a bag that was already set against the wall. She had gone by the passage to set the bag there earlier, along with her bow and quiver. "Put these on," she said, tossing a set of clothes to Kat. Removing her own clothes, she slipped into the change of clothes she'd brought for herself. She didn't bring much else, not having been able to grab much for fear of drawing attention to herself. She'd grabbed just a little bit of food from the kitchens, blankets, and a canteen for each of them, but that was it. She could hunt down food with her bow once their short supply ran out. Slinging her bow and quiver over her back, followed by the knapsack, she turned to her friend and gave her a nervous, reassuring smile. "Are you ready?" she asked her, leading her through the passageway. She'd already successfully escaped through the same passage twice now and had checked earlier to make sure her uncle hadn't discovered it and closed it up. Other than their echoing footsteps, it was eerily quiet in there... and dirty. Ignoring the rodents and cobwebs, Lydia made a slight face of disgust. She felt a little ill, but suppressed the urge to vomit. "In case you don't remember, the passage used to lead out into the forest, but the entrance collapsed gods only knows when. The last time I tried to run away, I managed to make enough of a gap in the rubble to fit through. Hopefully Benjen hasn't discovered it and closed it off, like he did with the other passageway I escaped from the first time..." She let her voice trail off for a moment before looking back at her friend, raising the lantern so that she could see her face. "Hopefully it will be a while before anyone realizes that we're missing..."It took a while, but the ground soon started to grow wet and slick and you could hear the sound of the wind and rain. Feeling the draft, Lydia pulled her cloak tightly around herself. A wave of relief washed over her. It was still there. She could see the hole in the rubble, rain dripping through it and pooling up into a puddle on the ground. "I'll go first," she said, handing Kat the lantern. There was enough room for one person to comfortably go through at once. Pulling up the hood of her cloak, Lydia climbed through. It took her a few moments, having to climb up through the rocks and boulders. She slipped a few times on the wet stones, thankfully managing to not fall back through. When she finally reached the top, the princess pulled herself out, practically collapsing against the pile of rubble. Chest heaving and arms aching, she set her hands on her stomach, feeling a little shaky. "I'm through," she called down through the hole, having to yell over the sound of the storm. She was already fairly soaked and could see her breath in the air as she pulled her cloak tighter around herself and waiting for Kat. Lydia |
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Post by Katerina M. Montgomery on Nov 15, 2015 3:50:38 GMT
Katerina turned as she heard Lydia's voice behind her, light from the hall and the lantern flooding the passageway with much appreciated light. She was glad that Lydia had made it without any problems and that they might actually have a chance to escape this place. She caught the clothes her friend tossed at her quite easily and began pulling off the dress she was wearing in favor of the pants and shirt and of course she put her riding boots back on because they would be a godsend for sneaking out of the castle through this passageway. Her eyes caught on Lydia's bow and quiver and she felt a pang for not having her own.
"Too bad you didn't have an extra bow." Kat said as she nodded and began to follow her friend through the passageway. She vaguely remembered the place Lydia said it came out, but she hoped that it was still slightly open and that they would be able to make it out. It definitely wasn't a pleasant jaunt through the passage, at one point she even walked straight into a giant spider web and had to make a conscious effort not to scream, especially as she thought of the fact that a spider could now be crawling all over her. When the ground finally started showing signs of rain she felt the first wave of excitement make its way through her body.
They made it to the hole and Lydia handed her the lantern as she proclaimed she would go first. Katerina took the lantern and watched as her friend started climbing through the slippery hole that was their only chance at freedom. She winced a few times as she watched Lydia slip, but the fellow princess made it through finally and called down to let her know as much. Kat looked down at the lantern in her hands and then up at the opening and groaned to herself. There was no way she could carry it and climb at the same time...and she didn't think she would be able to tie it to her. But she didn't really want to leave it behind so she undid the belt at her waist and threaded it through the hand of the lantern before buckling it back to her. That would have to work.
Taking a deep breath she began to climb up through the hole, taking her time to find a hand hold and a place to put her foot each time before moving on so that she wouldn't fall back through and possibly break her back or neck. It took a few minutes, her foot almost slipping from its spot a few times but she finally managed to crawl up out of the passageway. "I hope we never have to do that again." Kat said to Lydia as she bent over trying to catch her breath. At least the lantern had survived the climb and they wouldn't be walking around aimlessly without any light... not that it would probably do much good piercing through the sheets of rain. Belatedly she pulled the hood of the cloak over her head, though she was already soaked to the bone. "Now where do we go?" She asked, she barely knew the area so it wouldn't be very smart of her to lead them especially when they needed to get as far away as possible before morning came. Hopefully the rain would help cover their tracks.
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Post by Lydia G. Van Helsing on Nov 16, 2015 1:24:44 GMT
Lydia nodded in agreement as Kat bent over to catch her breath. It wasn't easy and it wasn't pleasant, but at least they made it through. They certainly weren't out of the clear yet though. "South," she responded, looking around to make sure there was nobody around to witness their escape. "To Errigal. King Lucian and Aiden will ensure our safety and we can get word to your father that you're safe. Let's go. We can't waste any time..."
Leading her friend away from the caved in tunnel, she headed into the southern forest, pushing back branches and being careful not to trip. It was difficult to see through the rain and the dark. The lantern only provided them with so much light. They pushed their way through for at least an hour, possibly two. Lydia was aching and tired, but she wasn't going to stop any time soon. She had too much at stake.
She paused, however, when she swore she hear something in the forest. It could have been an animal.. it could have been anything, but she felt dread settling into the pit of her stomach anyway as her intuition took over. "Did you hear that?" she asked Kat, looking at her and then scanning the trees as she strained to listen. Voices. She could hear them yelling ove the rain, mingling with the sound of hounds barking. Benjen's men were coming for them. "Run!" Lydia insisted, turning to do just that. She slipped, but caught herself and booked it away from the direction the men and hounds were coming from. It was nearly impossible, running through a dark forest in the pouring rain.
Lydia's lungs burned from the effort and a flash of lightning lit their path every so often, but other than that, she was pretty much blind. Branches whipped at her as she ran past, the cold only serving to make the pain worse. There was an awful sound above them and Lydia looked up to see something dark... and very, very large flying through the sky. It was a dragon. Oh Gods, no...
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Post by Katerina M. Montgomery on Nov 16, 2015 6:11:35 GMT
Katerina didn’t disagree with her friend that they couldn’t waste any time. Every moment they had stood there she had felt more apprehensive about the whole thing. She nodded, looking back down the hole they had just climbed out of and momentarily though about pushing one of the bigger rocks in front of the opening… but thought better of it. They didn’t have the time, nor did she think she wanted to expend energy on it. One last glance and then she was following Lydia into the forest and away from Benjen which definitely made her feel better. If she never saw that man’s face again it would be too soon that was for sure.
They were making good time from what Kat could assume, their pace hadn’t lessened even though the rain was freezing and definitely not letting up any time soon. Not for the first time Kat pinched herself as if she figured she would wake up back in her bedroom curled up in her blankets, warm and dry and completely safe. But of course that didn’t happen. The nightmare was real and that actually made it all the more frightening. When Lydia paused, Kat stopped in her tracks too. She didn’t need Lydia’s prompting to hear the sounds off men and dogs looking for them. The blood drained from her face and her heart seemed to cease beating for one terrible space of a heartbeat… then it took up beating again as if it were going to explode right out of her chest.
Katerina took off as if her feet had suddenly grown wings, not needing Lydia’s encouragement to run from the people searching for them. She knew that they couldn’t catch her friend. They had to keep away from them so that Lydia would have the chance to raise her child away from all the depravity that Benjen possessed inside his pitch black heart. Kat was just starting to think that it might be best if one of them, obviously her, were to be caught so the other had a better chance at escaping when she heard it. The roaring sound followed by great whooshing sounds as air was displaced in massive volumes by something huge. Katerina didn’t think herself cowardly but in that moment where she put together that there was not just men after them but a dragon rider? She almost pissed her pants.
”Run Lydia! Don’t stop, whatever you do DON’T YOU STOP!” Kat yelled after her friend, still running behind her but now at a much slower pace. She began to run with a limp, as if she had aggravated the injury she had received when she was kidnapped and was in pain. It wasn’t hard to do as she remembered rather clearly how much it had hurt afterwards to even walk on her leg. Katerina could hear the wing beats getting closer, even as Lydia got farther and farther in front of her, to where she almost couldn’t see her in the rain any more. She didn’t dare yell at her to keep going, all Kat could do was hope that her friend would realize what she was doing and keep going, find help and her father and his men come for her. As she practically limp jogged along Kat’s foot actually caught on a root for real and she tumbled to the ground and into the muddy forest floor. She was almost pissed at herself for letting a root get the best of her for the second time in as many months but then she realized it was probably the most perfect thing that could have happened. Groaning aloud as if in pain she pushed herself up out of the mud and into a sitting position that had her leg out at an odd angle… okay maybe she really HAD made the injury flare up, that or she had made herself believe her own imagination.
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Post by John S. Rhodes on Nov 16, 2015 21:54:57 GMT
Lydia slowed and looked over her shoulder when she felt Kat fall behind. "KAT?!" she yelled back at her, afraid and wondering why her friend had slowed down. As Kat yelled at her not to stop though, she knew. Under any other circumstances, Lydia would have gone back for her and made her keep running. Lydia knew, however, that if she was caught as well, Benjen would find out about the baby and there was no telling what he would do. Kat knew this as well and made her choice. It was a gesture Lydia wasn't sure she would ever be able to repay. "I'LL SEND HELP FOR YOU, I PROMISE!" she yelled, doing just as Kat told her. She was going to find a way to get Kat out of there no matter what. Her body was screaming for her to stop, but she pushed onward, unwilling to face the uncertainty of her child's future under Benjen's rule.
When the beast landed, it wasn't without uprooting a few nearby trees. He knew that the other girl was escaping, but in all honesty, he didn't care. Catching up to her would have been too easy, but she wasn't the one he was interest in. Sure, Benjen had sent him out there for both of them, but he didn't give a damn if Benjen's niece escaped. That was Benjen's concern, not his. It was pouring as the rider slid from the dragon's back, lightning striking a nearby tree with a blinding flash. The simultaneous boom was positively deafening before the now flaming tree toppled over. The dragon roared into the night sky as her rider walked toward the princess who was sitting in the mud, looking like a drowned rat. His armor was all black, darkness practically rolling off of him, like a shroud. She was the one he'd heard about... she was the one who had peaked his interest in a way that not other woman had before. He needed to know why the mere mention of her name had sparked something deep within him, stirring up thoughts better left buried. If Daq'aroth knew what they were up to, they would be back in the Middle in the blink of an eye, being subjected to the demon's wrath. Nobody disobeyed Daq'aroth and lived to tell the tale. Not even Vokun Zoriik. "How noble of you," he said to her, towering over her. The man's hood was up and his face was partially obscured, but his blue eyes were icy and intense, his gaze boring down on her. She was pretty, he would give her that, with big, brown eyes that were strikingly familiar to him. He'd never seen this woman before though. Not from what he could recall. Then again, other than his years of service to Daq'aroth, Vokun Zoriik didn't recall much. "Sacrificing yourself to let your friend get away... The heroism in that is downright sickening, princess." Grabbing her by her upper arm, there was nothing gentle about the way he wrenched her to her feet. He wasn't a gentle man, after all. He was a cold blooded killer, raping women, killing children, burning down villages. There were many who claimed that Vokun Zoriik was the devil himself. For a moment, he stared down at her, wondering why the moment he'd touched her, he felt a spark run all through his body. The light of the fire blazing nearby reflected off of his darkened features and cold, hateful eyes. She was familiar to him... not to Vokun Zoriik, but to the man beneath, the man he'd fought to silence all those years ago. He'd been successful in doing so too. His angry blue eyes shifted to the trees as Benjen's men finally caught up to them. "Princess Lydia has already escaped, you fucking imbeciles," he said to them. The hounds refused to come any closer to him or his dragon, as if they could sense the darkness within them. "Make your way back to the palace. At least we have one of them," he said, dragging Katerina toward the enormous blue dragon who regarded the girl with contempt. John |
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Post by Katerina M. Montgomery on Nov 17, 2015 7:24:37 GMT
”Let me go! I’m quite capable of walking on my own thank you.” Katerina said even as he pulled her up from the ground and started walking her back to his huge dragon. She pried uselessly at his fingers, trying to get him to release his hold on her arm but his grip was like a vise, it wasn’t coming loose unless he let it himself. She tried to pull her arm free, trying to swing her arm to break his grip, but just one try had her realizing that might result in a broken arm instead of breaking his grip. Kat tried not to think of the way her body had reacted to when he had first touched her… as if a spark of electricity had jumped from him into her.
”Sickening? Of course you would think it’s sickening. Dragging a woman back to a man who doesn’t give two shits if I live or die…that probably gets you off. I’m glad fell behind and gave her the chance to get far away from this place.” Katerina told him, pinning her brown gaze up on his face. For a moment she swore his face was familiar to her, and those eyes… however hate filled they were she felt like she had stared into them a million times before. But Katerina didn’t know this man, she definitely didn’t think she wanted to know this man. He seemed savage, wild even.
It was only as he started dragging her closer to the dragon who glared down at her as if Katerina had personally insulted her that Kat began to feel the dread pool in her stomach. He was going to take her back to that castle. What if Lydia never found her father? What if no one ever came for her? Kat tried to dig her heels into the mud, yelping a little as her leg twisted and she started to slip giving her no choice to take a step or start being drug through the mud by this man. ”No! Please, don’t take me back there…” She said, letting her fear get the best of her for a moment and she renewed her struggling. Her hand started prying and scratching at his again in wild desperation and she even kicked at him, almost like a child throwing a tantrum… Not thinking about the consequences of her actions Katerina leaned over in a last ditch effort to free herself and bit down hard on his hand, right were the meaty part of his thumb connected with his wrist.
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Post by John S. Rhodes on Nov 18, 2015 4:29:05 GMT
"The hell I will," Vokun Zoriik said to the princess, hardly affected by her prying hands trying to wrench herself free. "Either you're stupid or you think I'm stupid, princess. Do you think this is my first time seizing a prisoner? The second I let you go, you'll try something to get away. So shut the fuck up and give in already, before I hit you over the god damn head."
He couldn't help but roll his eyes when she begged for him not to take her back. Before he could come up with a retort, however, the little wench bit him! "YOU FUCKING BITCH!" he said, impulsively backhanding her across the face... HARD. The bite was more surprising than painful... though it was more painful than he would have anticipated since he hadn't been expecting it. "What are you, a fucking vampire? Try that again and I'll knock your fucking teeth down your throat."
Throwing her over his shoulder, her hefted himself up onto the dragon's back and forced the girl to sit in front of him in the saddle. "You're right, it does get me off. Dragging you back to King Benjen is exactly what I'm going to be thinking about when I'm lying in bed tonight." The dragon let out a fierce call into the howling wind and, after Vokun Zoriik made sure his hood and face mask were nice and secured, the dragon took off.
Flying during storms was never exactly pleasant and it was always dangerous, especially when there was lightning involved. The cold drops of rain felt like razorblades against the very small bit of his exposed skin on his face. When he couldn't take the water in his eyes anymore, he ducked his head a little in an attempt to lessen the stinging. The cold didn't bother him, but all the water made him feel as though he was being waterboarded. Something deep inside of him vaguely wondered if she was cold at this higher altitude and increased exposure... but then he remembered that he didn't actually give a fuck.
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Post by Katerina M. Montgomery on Nov 22, 2015 4:01:47 GMT
Katerina felt like her neck almost snapped with the force of his blow, she swore she heard it at least crack a few times. Her hand reflexively came up to touch her face where he had hit her. That had fucking hurt… but instead of being scared shitless his blow only pissed her off. ”You fucking bastard.” She said, angry flames practically dancing in those brown eyes of hers. Kat couldn’t remember ever being hit like that before and it had actually shocked her a bit. Yeah she had picked up that this man, while he seemed familiar and gorgeously handsome, was very very dark… it practically oozed off of him. That alone should have scared her more than it did.
Her anger only grew as the bastard picked her up and threw her over his shoulder and walked over to his dragon, climbed on and sat her in front of him on the great beast. She wasn’t ready for his words, telling her that he indeed got off from dragging her back to Benjen, but they didn’t surprise her much. ”Then I hope the Gods don’t allow you to find any release tonight, that you lie awake tossing and turning uncomfortably…” Kat replied just before the dragon let out a roar and took off into the air. As they gained altitude, she found herself praying to any of the Gods that would listen and do just that… Not that she figured it would happen, this man seemed to be the type that got what he wanted and those types of men usually disgusted her… so why was part of her getting so turned on by sitting in front of him on his dragon, pressed up against his armored chest?
As they climbed higher into the rain and lightning and bitter cold wind, she pulled her already more than soaked cloak closer around her and did her best not to shiver. The last thing Kat wanted was to be reduced to a shivering little girl by the time he returned her back to Benjen… who would surely find some way to exploit the fact that she was freezing cold and soaked to the bone. If she didn’t get sick from this whole little adventure she would be utterly amazed. Kat pulled the hood over her head and tried scooting up more on the dragon’s back, not liking how her body tingled in ways it never had before being so close to him. It was disconcerting to say the least. Her body didn’t even react that way to Roland and she loved him dearly.
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