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Post by Terion, King of Ireland on Feb 7, 2008 21:51:33 GMT -5
Terion couldn’t help but smile as the children ran off and began to tell everyone that he had kissed Kayla. Apparently in that town it was an odd thing to do, to kiss Kayla. He wondered if everyone else found her as free spirited and witty as he did. Terion couldn’t help but smile as she turned to him with a rather infuriated look on her face as she began to tell him where his place was. Terion simply stood there and listened to it and as he did he began to slowly move forward, almost unnoticeably. He kept his hands behind his back and his eyes on hers as she spoke until he was about a yard from her. “Well actually I probably can go around kisses people if I wish.” Terion said with a smile after she had finished speaking and before anyone else could say anything, Terion moved his hand to her shoulders and pulled her closer to him again and kissed her once more, this time his kiss a bit longer and more passionate. It was obvious that he knew how to do this and he knew how to kiss. He held her close to him for a few seconds and then pulled away again, stepping a few feet back to avoid any attacks that Kayla would have. Of course there was always the possibility that she would enjoy kissing. Usually people enjoyed it. Of course, Terion had a little awkward way of going about it, but that was Terion and there wasn’t going to be anything that would change it.
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Post by Kayla on Feb 7, 2008 22:28:21 GMT -5
Kayla soon found herself being kissed again. His lips pressed longingly against hers, his hands keeping her from drawing away. It was overwhelming to have him against her like that, closer than she had ever allowed anyone to go before. Despite herself she found that she enjoyed the kiss, enjoyed the exhilarating rush that accompanied his lips against hers again. By this time the villagers were eager to see what was happening in the bakery. The children pressed their noses against the glass, unashamed at the curiosity they felt. The young boys, hopeful suitors, wore faces of great anguish. So a king had swept in and was stealing their Kayla away. The women of the village watched eagerly, though they tried to act as if doing otherwise. In the small town such an event as this was quite a big deal. No one's attention was on the recruiting soldiers, that was for sure. It was a good thing that the young king had stepped away, for Kayla was truly incensed now. The kiss had been enjoyable, yes, but Kayla would never admit it now. Her honor was at stake, as was her independence. "Just because you are a king doesn't mean you own me!" Kayla shouted, her temper flared up to the full now. Green eyes flashing, she stormed out of the bakery, leaving the king standing there with two floury handprints on his chest. Past the children, past the astonished villagers, she went up to his horse. Oh, did Kayla forget to mention she was a very good horsewoman? Mounting with practiced speed, she straddled the horse. "Hyah!" she shouted angrily, squeezing the horse's whithers with her legs and snapping the reins. The horse raced off with great haste, urged on by Kayla.
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Post by Terion, King of Ireland on Feb 8, 2008 10:19:53 GMT -5
Did she just steal his horse? Terion didn’t hurry after her until he saw her reach his horse and ride off with it before his men could do anything about it. Terion walked out of the shop with a tremendous smile on his face. This was fun and he wasn’t going to deny that. He had just kissed a beautiful woman and this woman had just stolen his horse which was going to give him an awful fun time when he rode her down. That of course would also make her indebted to him but he was not going to hold it against her. He reached his men who were staring at him as if they needed orders. Terion turned to them. “Stay here and finish the recruiting. I will return by nightfall or sooner. If I am not back by morning…go onto the next town and I will meet you there.” Terion commanded and one of the men protested, “But sir, we should go with you! No king should..” Terion put his hand up and silenced the man as he shook his head, “I go alone.” He turned around. “I need a fast horse! Mine is not slow and I will need the faster among you to ride her down.” A horse was brought forth after a short time, the town eager to help the King, most of which were still laughing a bit. Terion didn’t mind because he was laughing to himself as well. He was still a young boy at heart and enjoyed the exhilarations of the heart and mind. He didn’t have time to saddle the horse, so he rode it bare back out of town after Kayla. He could see her in the distance, but barely. Hopefully this horse was fast enough to catch his own.
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Post by Kayla on Feb 8, 2008 10:38:14 GMT -5
No one could be truly mad while they were riding a horse. The hooves galloped in harmonious sync, the wonderful rippling ride soothing Kayla's temper. The wind whipped at her face, trying to tug her curly locks free. With a joyous laugh Kayla helped, reaching behind and pulling the ribbon that held her hair free. The cascade of dark ripples, released now, flew behind her like the mane of the horse itself. Leaning forward, she whispered encouragment in the pointed ears. Responding to the kind tone, the horse sped up, fleet footed over the grass knolls. Looking behind, she could see a tiny dot in the distance. The boyish king was following. Determination rose in her again and she set her jaw firmly. She had traversed these paths many times; Kayla loved to ride on the rare occasion that she wasn't needed in the shop. The Irish lass began to bear to the right. There was a forest this way, she knew, and it would be simple to lose the impetuous boy there. Entering the glade, she slowed the horse to a gentle loping pace, dodging through the trees.
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Post by Terion, King of Ireland on Feb 8, 2008 10:44:28 GMT -5
Two things were going to keep Kayla from escaping him. The first was that Terion was a very good rider on any horse and he had ridden the trails as much as she had. Terion had gone through all of Ireland and back again several times looking for herbs or something else to help his medicine. In any case, she would not so easily elude him with so little thought. The second reason that she was not going to be able to avoid him was because Terion knew how to track and he could track a squirrel through a forest and he could pretty much track anything, especially the unique hooves of his horse. He reached the forest several minutes after she did and he slowed as she had done, looking at the ground. Neither Terion nor Kayla knew about the third reason that was going to bring them together. There was a Roman scouting party coming through the forest. It was no more than fifteen men, but they were armed and they were looking for anything they could find to kill. In truth it was the remnants of the last army of Romans to come to Ireland. Terion had been tracking them for some time and had not been able to find them. However, he found them before he found Kayla. Terion dismounted from his horse and shooed it away as he heard the Romans drawing closer to him. He looked back and forth. He still had not found Kayla, “Kayla, if you are out there, stays down…stay hidden.” Terion ordered and not in a king’s tone, but more in a fatherly protective tone. Terion drew his sword and swung into the pushes as the men drew closer.
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Post by Kayla on Feb 8, 2008 12:38:12 GMT -5
The warning came rather too late. As she trotted through the forest, the horse blowing a bit heavily, Kayla enjoyed the green dappled light falling across them both. She heard rustling through the bushes and the sound of something that was not an animal. Smiling cunningly, she figured it was the king. She would let him catch a glimpse of her, then race back to the village. He may know the forest, but he didn't know her village like she did. Emerging through the trees, she came upon almost a score of Romans. They were armed and she knew this boded no good. Seconds later the king's voice wafted through the trees. Talk about a lack of timing. For a second nothing happened, the soldiers no doubt a bit surprised to come across a woman astride on a horse, her dark hair rippling around her shoulder. But then everything seemed to happen at once. "Hoi! It's a girl!" shouted one of the men in surprise. In a move that only a good horseman - or in this case horsewoman - would try, Kayla yanked up hard on the reins. The horse's head was yanked upright and he reared, neighing loudly in surprise. His solid hooves forced the group back. Turning and landing, Kayla whipped his flank with the reins, shouting, "Hyahh!" The startled horse dashed off helter skelter through the trees, Kayla clinging for dear life and trying to navigate as best she could.
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Post by Terion, King of Ireland on Feb 8, 2008 12:57:33 GMT -5
Terion heard the thumping of hooves and he shook his head as he rose from the ground to see Kayla riding through the forest past him. Terion didn’t have time to flag her down as the shouts of the Romans could be heard coming through the trees and Terion had to turn to face them. The men stopped when they saw Terion. There were eleven of them that Terion counted and he sighed. The man looked at one another and smirked. Terion noticed that none of them had shields, only seven of them had swords and one had a spear. “Look boys…an Irishman.” The men laughed and Terion smiled with them. “Oh yes, an Irishman, lets just kill the Irishman shall we? Tally Ho then!” Terion cried and kicked up with his foot, which brought up a thick branch he had been stepping on. The branch landed in his hands and he took the branch and flung it into the chest of the man with the spear as the others came towards him. Terion then bent down and prepared to defend himself. Well, the defending himself turned into attacking after he downed two men and the odds were a bit better for him. The men without weapons tried through rocks at him but that didn’t work because Terion moved around too much when he was fighting and the rocks ended up hitting their own men. In the end though, the unarmed soldiers began to run and Terion didn’t have the heart or care to follow them. They were running in the direction of the next town and his men would probably meet up with them. He would not be responsible for the horrible deaths they would face. The rest of the men lay dead around him and Terion stood their, sheathing his sword. Where did that woman go?
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Post by Kayla on Feb 8, 2008 23:15:23 GMT -5
At the moment Kayla was as far away as possible from the Romans and the king. She figured if he was a king, like he said he was, then he could handle himself. She was currently a bit distracted. The chestnut horse beneath her dodged the thick trees, eyes rolling madly, completely spooked. The fact that Kayla was upon his back clinging tight and whipping the reins didn't help the situation. Tossing his head, the horse powered on. Kayla had to keep constantly vigilant as branches reached out to catch her and pull her off. Dodging to the side recklessly, the horse attempted to shake off his rider. He wasn't used to riders like that, riders with dresses that flowed and yelling words to urge him on. Jumping over a fallen log, the horse stumbled. Kayla was thrown almost over his head but managed to grab the mane before falling. Unfortunately the action caused her to let go of the reins. No longer in control, Kayla could only hold onto the tangled mane and try to stay on. But such a thing was not to be. Emerging onto a unforested clearing, the horse bucked and crowhopped, finally tossing his rider. Kayla fell hard, rolling into a tree nearby. Pain exploded in her mind as her arm hit the trunk, echoing in a sickening crunch. With a moan Kayla sunk into a limp heap. Miles from the battle, she had no idea of who was out there. But all her troubles faded away with her consciousness as a wave of pain pushed her into darkness. The horse was long gone. No help was at hand.
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Post by Terion, King of Ireland on Feb 9, 2008 0:09:03 GMT -5
Terion sighed and looked around. There was no present sound of Kayla, no indication that she was anywhere nearby and she had his horse. Terion sighed and took a few steps away from the battlefield and looked around again. He whistled for his horse but she did not come. How far had she ridden away he wondered? Terion walked a few feet forwards again and leaned against a tree. He let out another sigh and closed his eyes, shaking his head. He always got himself into odd situations. After a moment he began to hear the thumping of hooves and Terion opened his eyes to see his horse coming towards him. Terion smiled for a moment when he realized that his horse had returned to him like she usually did. However, he then frowned as he wondered what had become of Kayla because she was no longer on the horse. Terion went over to her and stroked her mane, calming her, “Shh, its alright…. shhh.” He whispered and then mounted the horses lightly and leaned down, whispering into her ear, “Go find Kayla.” He whispered. He tapped the horse a few times and the horse galloped off towards the direction of Kayla. Terion didn’t know if the horse was going the right way or not, he was just following the horse. He could tell a horse had been through the area because of the broken twigs and foliage so he guessed he was in the right place.
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Post by Kayla on Feb 9, 2008 0:24:01 GMT -5
Groaning, Kayla faded in and out of consciouness, her vision a bit fuzzy. She managed to pull herself from her pain-filled torpor long enough to assess the situation. By the strange angle of her arm, it was probably broken. The horse was gone and the king was nowhere in sight. Neither were the romans. Both good things in her opinion. The boyish 'king' would probably just try to kiss her again. Not that she hadn't enjoyed it, but it had been rather impetuous. Kayla didn't like anything where she didn't have a say in it. Like now. With many whimpers of pain and gasping breaths, Kayla managed to pull herself to her feet, using the tree as a steady point. Holding her arm close, she looked around, her green eyes wide and a bit panicked. Taking off the apron, she wrapped it in a makeshift sling. Every time the cloth or her hand brushed against the damaged left arm, her world spun and kaleidescoped with black dots. But she kept herself awake long enough to finish it. Task completed, she leaned against the tree, closing her eyes to ward off the unconsciousness. No need to fall down and be found by the romans. Unsteadily she began to set off through the forest, figuring she would find a path eventually. It was sheer bad luck that she headed in the opposite direction she had come from.
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Post by Terion, King of Ireland on Feb 9, 2008 0:30:23 GMT -5
Well, Kayla was on foot and Terion was riding through the forest on a horse going as fast as he could without running into anything. It took him a short while, but after that he began to see the forest meadow and he rode into it. A few moments later he began to see the figure that was Kayla. He smiled when he saw her, patting his horse on the neck lightly to congratulate her on her find. It took him a few more moments still before he rode up next to her. He dismounted his horse as it slowed and came to a halt next to her. Terion walked up to Kayla and put his hands on his hips and took in a deep breath. He was going to say something but he saw her arm in a sling and as a healer, immediately switched gears. His eyes became comforting and helpful, "Are you alright?" He asked, moving his hands lightly to her arm.
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Post by Kayla on Feb 9, 2008 0:35:03 GMT -5
The hooves of the horse sounded muffled on the forest loam, but Kayla still heard them. Turning, she saw it was that man again. It seemed as if she would never be rid of him. She kept walking stubbornly, trying to not let on that her vision blurred with every step, that she was in pain. "Do I look okay?" she snarled, the pain making her even more angry at him. Pain was a funny thing. Sometimes it made a person seek help, but in Kayla's case, considering that she was already upset at him, it just made her irritable. She whipped away from his inquiring hand, pulling her arm closer despite the pain the jostle caused. Shaking her head to keep conscious, she blinked rapidly. "Don't touch it!" she commanded, her green eyes glaring at him as she stood there. Kayla just wanted to get back to the village, back to her parents, and away from the madness the king and his small troupe had brought.
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Post by Terion, King of Ireland on Feb 9, 2008 0:53:07 GMT -5
Terion sighed as she told him not to touch her. He was not an irritable man but she was making him very angry because she would not let him help her. There was very little that upset a healer more than having an injury that they could heal but simply weren’t allowed to. “Be quite woman!” Terion finally said, louder than he intended to, but his tone was very commanding and a bit fierce. He moved his right hand to her shoulder and pushed her down, not hard enough to hurt her, but enough to emphasize his next point, “Sit down Kayla!” He ordered her. He didn’t care if she wanted to be ordered around or not. She was going to be and there wasn’t much she was going to be able to do about it either. “I am a healer, so you will let me help you.” Terion said, not giving her an ultimatum, telling her exactly what was going to happen. She was going to need some structure if she was going to make it back to the village without any further injury. Terion went back to his horse and took a few things out of the saddlebag and then walked back over to Kayla and knelt down next to her.
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Post by Kayla on Feb 9, 2008 11:23:38 GMT -5
Huffily Kayla sat at his insistence. If he was a healer, she supposed it wouldn't do any harm to let him have a look. "Healer? I thought you were a king. You live quite a double life, whoever you are," she commented grumpily. Reluctantly she loosed the makeshift sling she had constructed. The movement, ever so slight as it was, was enough to make her grit her teeth again as the bone shifted. After a few moments the dizziness passed and she blinked rather owlishly at him. "What happened to the Romans?" she asked. Obviously they had fled or he had lost them. Right now she was trying to keep talking, because if you were talking you couldn't faint, now could you? She didn't want to just slump into unconsciousness right in front of this stranger. Kayla was not a helpless maiden in need of rescuing. It was a matter of pride. She didn't want to be carried into the village unconscious and limp in this man's arms. And so reluctantly she let him touch her.
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Post by Terion, King of Ireland on Feb 9, 2008 13:01:53 GMT -5
She finally sat down and Terion decided that right then and there he was going to have to be very assertive for her to listen to him. He didn't like being that way but that was just how it was going to be and there really wasn't anything anyone was going to say about it and he wasn't going to argue. Terion knew how to figure people out and it was a matter of time before he figured Kayla out. He moved his hand to her arm and slowly untied her pitiful sling from her apron. He sighed when he looked at the arm and shook his head, "Its sprained," He said calmly and moved his hand to a small bottle and opened it, rubbing some cool cream on her arm. "That will dull the pain." He said and looked up at her, "I am a healer, was the healer of my village. Some double life...." He sighed. He then remember her question about the Romans, "The Romans are dead." He said bluntly.
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