Last Meetings [Blythe]

[Serrif Von Chatlyn]

He was beginning to really question Blythe. Did she really know what she wanted? She evaded him like she wanted nothing to do with him, yet at the same time when he touched her she relaxed, her spirit seemed to calm down. These were the effects of a trusted person a close friend…or lover. But could he really love Blythe? Could he deal with her seeing his past in uncontrolled snippets? More importantly could she? He could only imagine all the horrible things his past had yet to reveal to her. She had only seen two small sections, and he knew there were years of much more horrible things awaiting her if she stayed with him. Could he allow his memories to torture her? He pondered this for a short period of time on the back burner as he held her. His focus shifted.

He was holding Blythe. Really holding her in his arms, she hadn’t run away. No instead she was talking to him. A welcomed change to what he had originally expected. He thought she would run again. Leaving him clueless to who she was. But he braced himself as she gently felt his left shoulder. Her palm was soft, especially when compared to his own hands. His were rough and callused, even somewhat scarred. But hers…they were far different. He knew something was going to happen right then. The way she looked at him, how she was toiling over something in her mind…she was going to say or do something. As to what he was still anxious, because it could be anything at all, good or bad.

He listened intently as she spoke about her large family. He knew she had a family, most Konti on the isle did. And these families were usually very large all living under the same roof as well. He knew hers was large because he had ran into some of her sisters while in the medical library. It seemed they had heard about him, but after he carried Ildin to Rak’keli’s doorstep after rescuing her from a burning building well…there weren’t many that hadn’t heard of him. He had endured hell that night, and by Rak’keli’s grace he wasn’t forced to carry the scars of the burns. He could feel his heart drop as he knew that not having a family of her own had to be absolutely horrible for Blythe. He could see the tears begin to form in the corners of her eyes as she spoke, and as usual in her time of weakness she tried to brush it off. Just ignore the fact that she hurt. He could see it in her face and feel it in her words. She hurt…horribly. He couldn’t imagine having a child and then having them die. Especially when family was everything to the Konti women.

He did the only thing he could think of, he wanted to comfort her. He knew she wanted to just let it go, just brush it aside and eat dinner. Mostly because he knew how hard it had to be to think about it. He knew she likely felt like she was all alone in this world. She had no daughters and she had to feel isolated from the rest of her family because of this. She likely felt like she had no status even though he knew she was the most amazing fortune teller on the isle. Her name was whispered with a certain level of fear and honor. She was skilled in something that was indeed cryptic at best. And she had that to be proud of. There would be other times to try and have children. He brought her body closer nestling her head gently against his chest. For a moment it would feel like he surrounded her, wrapping her frail frame in his. His arms wrapped one around her waist and the other around her upper body, his hand switched form her cheek to the back of her head gently cradling her. He looked down to her and whispered gently to her, just barely audible above the rolling waves.

“You have much to be proud of Blythe, your skills in fortune telling are incredible. I only know because of what I have heard. You still have plenty of life ahead of you to have daughters. Maybe you will find the right man eventually. And then you will have a daughter or three.” His body was like a fortress compared to hers. He had endured more hell than most, and he had still pulled himself up out of it to what he was now.

“You have nothing to be ashamed of Blythe. I am sure it will all work out for you eventually.”

OOCThere you go

[Blythe]

Blythe could feel Serrif pulling her closer to him, ignoring her, as he encased her in his strong arms. She could feel his warm flesh against her own, as her body shook lightly, more with the pain of her memories, than with the cold night air, which was just beginning to seep into her bones. "Thank you Serrif," she whispered, her words cascading over the side of his broad shoulders, falling away from his ears. "That truly is a kind thing to say."

The Konti raised her hands, trailing them up to Serrif's shoulders, where they came to a place of rest. The palms of her hands curling over his bones, as her fingers trailed over the back of him. She drew them up, closer to her palms at times, before letting them move back, and grow slack. She was scratching him, but so lightly it more than likely felt as though she were tickling him, or giving him a rather weak massage. "You always seem to know what you say, you know... sometimes, all the women here must wonder if you do that on purpose."

What sounded like half a choked laugh escaped Blythe's pale pink lips, as her lips curled into the most slender of smiles. "But thank you nonetheless. I'm sure you're telling the truth. I can feel it in your bones," she whispered, as her smile left her lips. Abandoning her facial features much as Blythe had abandoned Serrif the first time he tried to get her this close; the time when he professed his love for her.

Blythe remained silent for a long time, allowing Serrif to hold her, for the heat that radiated off his body to cause her flesh to tingle. Allowing the sense of security he provided to overwhelm her senses. Finally, she raised her head a little, allowing her chin to rest upon his chest, as she stood on her tippy-toes. "You know, you have nothing to be ashamed of either," Blythe whispered, as close to his ear as she could manage. "If anything, those slavers should be ashamed of what they did to you... those in the camp with you." With that, she allowed her feet to flatten against the sand again. Her chin sinking a few inches against his chest, as she trailed her hands from Serrif's broad shoulders, to his neck.

Blythe wove her fingers together, and held her hands behind his neck. She looked up at him then, into his eyes. Her lavender-colored eyes reflecting the light of the fire, their invitation into its open arms, into a bed of comfortable heat. "Don't ever forget that," she whispered, as she held the position for several moments, before allowing her irises to trail towards their pan of cooling fish. As though silently saying, we should probably eat those before they get any colder.

The Konti flashed Serrif a radiant smile, as she looked back up at him. She was biting her bottom lip nervously, wondering how much longer each of them could bare to stay like this, without kissing each other. Even if one of them only kissed the other affectionately upon the cheek. She could feel her teeth pressing lightly into the rounded curve of her flesh, placing two delicate marks upon it, which would fade given time.

Does he still long for one? Blythe wondered, or am I reading him all wrong?

[Serrif Von Chatlyn]

OOCLet me know if I need to change anything
A smile came across Serrif’s face as he breathed in her scent deeply as if he wanted to remember this moment for a long time. He felt her shake in his arms and he held her that more tightly. He wanted to let her know that in this moment she was completely safe. That nothing would hurt her right now; for the next few moments nothing could touch her. She was wrapped in his arms safe and sound. He could feel her hands travel along his body, but she wasn’t cringing in pain. No tears flowed down her face from visions, she didn’t scream. She rather seemed to be enjoying herself. She spoke about how he seemed to know what to say he then whispered his response back.

“I speak the truth Blythe.” He continued to hold her as he smiled. It had been forever since he held anyone at all, much less a woman…much less a Konti.

For as collected as the Konti seemed to be there was always a chaos lurking right below the surface. But Blythe was lightening up some, he heard her laugh some. She knew he was telling the truth, and this was a beginning he supposed. She was remaining quiet now though. Allowing him to really pull her close into his form. He could feel her body unwind and relax as she remained there against his body. Maybe it was his warmth but it was almost surreal the peace he was bringing to this woman. He was collected, no real emotion blossoming inside him except a small bud of romance. If she really knew this she could have him fall hard. So hard he would never be able to stand back again. It seemed he had a weak spot for this woman. To him she seemed more down to earth then the rest of the women around her. But he wasn’t sure why this was.

“They made me who I am, without pain there is nothing. It brings with it character and drive.” He spoke gently to her as he nodded and then finished. “They made me who I am what I am now pain is double edged Blythe. It only does as much harm as we allow it.”

Her eyes seemed to sparkle as he looked into them. Was this some sort of trick? Was he really seeing this? Her lavender depths were so very inviting. He wanted and likely could stare into their beauty for a very long time. He could lose himself in her beauty and wrap her forever in his arms. But…there was doubt. Did she want this? Would she allow herself to feel this way and give into these feelings? He couldn’t know for sure and he didn’t want to really make an approach further than this if he was only going to isolate himself from her. They could be friends or they could be something else. But he had no way of knowing which she really wanted. He could see her begin to get nervous. She was blushing a little. He knew that blush…

It was the same one she had when she touched him, when he tried to seduce her at the Opal Temple. The very same blush she had when she looked on him for an extended period of time. The look she had, the longing she had. He caught her staring at his form several times. And every single time she blushed like this. She smiled to cover it up, the same radiant smile she had when she wanted to shake something off. Or draw his attention away from the fact that he had caught her staring at him again. He knew what was going through her mind. He knew. He smiled as well and then gently bent down and placed a very gentle kiss on her cheek. She could feel how much he longed for love. How he wanted to just pour out his heart for her to read like a book. But at the same time he was stronger than that, but she could feel that was what he wanted.

“There is far more if you long for it.” He whispered into her ear sweetly. The next move was completely up to her. If she deepened his advances he would not stop her by any means.

[Blythe]

Blythe could feel Serrif pulling her closer, and closer and closer, even though she was certain there was no where else to go. That their two forms had been locked together, and there was no more room for movement. She could feel her own hands pushing up against each other, forcing their bond to strengthen, as she held them lightly against Serrif's neck. "Then perhaps they should be thanked for turning you into a man with the gentlest of hearts," Blythe whispered, as she stared up and into the man's eyes. She as so tempted to kiss him then, but was so uncertain of herself. Whether or not it was proper for her, someone nearly twice his age to do so. Whether or not it was proper after all those times she had seemingly misled him, perhaps flirted a little, before running off and crawling into her bed. Pulling the covers up tightly around her chin, before tucking her pillow over her head, just for good measure. Wondered if it was what he still wanted, after all of those times in which she had fled from his grasp, abandoned him.

Avalis, show me the way. Show me your wisdom. What is to be done in a situation such as this? Blythe asked, as she remained silent, supported by Serrif's strong, relentless embrace. Do you follow your past? What has already come to pass? What once was? Or do you follow the present, and your heart? Blythe's whispers paused for a moment, please, my goddess, steer me towards the proper path, the one that will present each of us with the least pain. The one that will make each of us happiest, the one which is right... please, show me a sign. Let me know you're listening... please. The voice that whispered within the confines of the Konti's mind seemed to be begging in her prayer. It seemed weak, confused, and desperate.

Blythe waited patiently, but only for an instant. She could just make out the line of grey that glided across her pale face; shadows cast by the light of Leth's milky moon, as Serrif drew closer to her. Blythe sucked in a deep breath, this is it, she thought, as Serrif's head tilted to the side, and inched closer and closer to her right cheek. Within seconds, she could feel his lips brush up against her flesh. They were rather soft. A sharp contrast to his hands, which were both rough, and callused, yet strong. His lips seemed to lack strength, as they sank into Blythe's skin. Molding into the contours of her face; the gentle rise of her skin as it curled around her cheekbones. The gesture sent a subtle, warm, tingling sensation through her cheek, which seemed to radiate in her teeth.

Thank you Avalis, for pointing the way, Blythe thought, as Serrif pulled away from her. Her cheek felt warm, as though it were on fire. Her whole body felt warm, somewhat strained and weak. She knew she was blushing, as the light of the stars reflected off her dark pupils. They were sparkling now, as her lips curled into the widest smile yet. She had enjoyed that, perhaps a little too much. It made her dizzy. They had finally kissed, well sort of... but at least now she knew that the past didn't matter quite as much as she thought it did. He still liked her, perhaps even loved her.

Finally, Blythe let out the breath she hadn't so much as realized she had been holding in, allowing it to flow with a small giggle. One that she forced herself to choke. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Perhaps Serrif could feel it too. Now would be just the right moment, she thought, as she forced herself onto her tippy-toes, "is that so Serrif?" Blythe finally whispered, her voice soft, and somewhat wispy. She wanted to know that there was more. She wanted to find out just how much more.

Blythe closed her eyes, letting her eyelids relax as she tilted her head slightly to the side, and then, inched her face closer and closer to Serrif's. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, their lips brushed, for but an instant. Blythe's top lip grazing over Serrif's bottom lip, as her hands made their way upwards, onto the back of Serrif's head, beneath a tuft of his hair. She was waiting for him to deepen the kiss. To show her how much he longed for her too.

OOCYes, lets just mess with our pc's minds before they go off on a long adventure, halfway around the world known as Mizahar, in which they may very well die. Yes... that sounds like a splendid idea!

[Serrif Von Chatlyn]

Blythe was so perfect…and he wasn’t. She was a delicate de-thorned flower. Beautiful to look at from afar and even more breathtaking up close. He stared into her lavender eyes and he could see how she was somewhat confused. And in her shoes he would be too. They had nothing in common, but they had both suffered in the past. And one couldn’t compare suffering but he knew that she would likely never really understand him completely. She could never know the man he really was. The man he was deep inside himself. He had built up layers and lies to keep it concealed, and even though they all saw the picture none understood the meaning. He had constructed these walls and thoughts to help and protect himself from the women of the isle reading him as an open book. But he hadn’t tone him a ton of good. Because some still saw through it all. But that was some, many were still fooled.

Blythe understood some, she knew some but he wasn’t sure if he wanted her to know more. If he could tell her of the darkness that still loomed inside of him. If he could share that part of him with her. He knew that this was likely not going to turn out well for him. But he knew he wanted to kiss her, he wanted to feel her lips against his her body pressed to him. He wanted that elation. But at the same time it was almost greedy in a way, would he be leading her along? Just like he felt she had done to him all those seasons ago? He couldn’t let these thoughts linger with him for too long. Just for a second he wanted to feel love. He wanted to feel accepted for who and what he really was. Did this woman really understand? Did she have a clear understanding of the dangerous emotions she stirred in him? How could she know for sure? How could he know?

He felt her heart pounding in her chest, she was feeling what he was. He knew it. She would be able to hear his heart as well mimicking hers she was close enough to him to hear it all in rhythm. And she teased him with a light kiss on his lower lip. She was willing to find out how much more there was…how deep his love for her really ran. And to tell the truth he hadn’t thought of this moment quite like this. He didn’t think she would just finally let him in. Let him really experience something wonderful. But she was a rose…and he wasn’t.

No he was something far different than a beautiful rose. Nothing about him was wonderful in his eyes. Sure he was tall and relatively handsome. But he was horribly scarred, inside and out. His body had been tainted with poison and scarred by horrible dreams of his past. He almost never slept well waking rested. He almost always felt like he had finished one of Ildin’s running marathons on the beach. But for a moment he was able to push all that aside and enjoy the Konti in his arms. He wanted to bask in her beauty for just a little while longer. And truth was he did have feelings for her, and she would find out just how deep in a matter of seconds.

He felt her hands find sanctuary behind his head underneath his tuft of hair. He deepened the kiss. He had waited long for something that felt like this. For a kiss that felt like this, but internally something crawled inside him. She wouldn’t feel it unless Avalis willed it. But he kissed her deeper and deeper loving her beauty and grace. But it wouldn’t go away…it wouldn’t… Flashing across his memory were horrible acts he never remembered committing. They were only flashes but they felt real. They seemed real and fit in line with everything else he remembered happening… He broke the kiss and set his head next to hers sighing as she now could feel his body tremble from the experience…what had happened? What had he seen?

“We best eat Blythe. I will warm the food.” He let her go and gripped his blanket and put the pan in the fire to warm the food…

It had become apparent to him now that he couldn’t be with her…she wouldn’t ever understand the truth that was him. “You may love me Blythe, but I fear I may do more injury than good for you. I’m not…what you need. Even if you are what I think I need.” He said truthfully as he warmed the food then pulled it off the fire.

“But eat with me Blythe, I want to spend tonight with you. Because truth be told I do love you.”

[Blythe]

Blythe could feel Serrif's lips pushing themselves against her own, deepening their kiss. She let her hands unclasp, and form the smallest circles on the back of his head, as he seemed to dip her lower. Take her in. Press his lips into her more hungrily. It left Blythe nearly breathless, gasping for air as she shut her eyes a little more tightly and willed it never to end. Willed this moment to last forever.

But it couldn't last forever. Nothing ever did. Nothing ever could.

It seemed to Blythe, that their kiss had ended too soon. "Is something wrong Serrif?" Blythe asked, several seconds after the feel of his kiss had melted away. After the tingling sensation, the warmth it brought had disappeared. When he was resting his head next to her own. As though he were lost in his own little world, or now filled with regret. Perhaps he hadn't wanted to kiss her. Perhaps she had made it seem as though she didn't want to be kissed. Was she not trying hard enough? Pressing her own lips too lightly into his own? Was she so soft that she seemed cold, unwilling?

As Serrif spoke to her, Blythe cast her gaze down at the ground, letting her hands slip from his neck, onto his shoulders, then onto his pecs, before she pulled them back to her sides. "Perhaps we should," she whispered, as she watched him walk away.

Was I wrong, Avalis? Blythe wondered, as she watched the flame flicker against Serrif's form. Casting him in a warm, inviting, orange glow. She could hear it crackling, as he reheated their food. As he pulled the pan away, and offered its contents to her. She simply stood, as mute as her Kelvic companion.

"Do you really mean that... Ser?" Blythe whispered her question. "Do you really love me? And fear you may hurt me, even more than any other man or woman already has?" she asked, as she walked over to him slowly. Dragging her feet across the sand, leaving uneven wedges of the beige grains in her stead. Mountains that dipped into plateaus.

"Do you?" Blythe asked, one last time, as she stood in front of him, and delicately rested her right hand on his shoulder, careful not to burn herself on the pan.

[Serrif Von Chatlyn]

He knew what it meant to love. What it was like to feel like someone was a true miracle in your life. He had really exposed himself to her, to a point where she could hurt him…and she had. As much as he wanted to just let it go into the past and fade nothing was really that simple to him. He knew he was afraid to kiss her. Now that he had he was afraid to love her…really openly love her. Could she love him back? Would she allow herself to really openly love him for who and what he was? Did she understand his pain? Could she understand his nightmares that seemingly came and went as they wanted almost leaving him a shell of a man. He knew if he loved her…if he allowed himself to love her he would be afraid to lose her.

He knew Konti took ‘lovers’ and almost never took husbands. They lived far to long to tie themselves down to mortal men of his race. One day his health would fail him and Blythe…well she would still be the untouchable beautiful rose she was right now. Still young and full of vigor and he with his body having betrayed him would be unable to match her any longer. He knew he would die…And leave his beloved and any daughters they had together. Dira would call him away…long before Blythe ever died. Could he put her through that? Could he knowingly love her and have her grow attached to him only to have him die and leave her alone one day? Was that love?

Or would death not take him and instead one day he would wake to find Blythe had left him completely; unwilling to see him slowly die before her own eyes. Unable to have their children watch their father die. He didn’t know which was worse in his mind. But either option meant that he would leave a very deep hold in Blythe’s life…one that he wasn’t sure. Or one day would he leave her unable to put up with the shame of his old decrepit body when compared to hers. Wanting her to love someone else other than himself forcing her to never come after him. Could he do this…

“I…even if I do love you Blythe how long would we be happy together before I became old with age?” He sighed and removed the pan from the fire and shook his head. “I am not afraid that I will hurt you Blythe…because I WILL HURT YOU, it is inevitable. You will stay as vigorous as you are now, as young as you are now and as full of energy as you are right now. But me…I will decay into dust. My body will betray me and you will be forced to watch me die before your very own eyes.” He sighed and let that sink in before he spoke again to her, quietly.

“That isn’t love Blythe, love isn’t you having to live the rest of your life with a part of your heart belonging to me after I passed on. So I will let another claim your heart, love, and affections no matter how much I want it all…no matter how much I crave it. Because I…want you to be happy. And that Blythe…that is love.” He nodded and pulled out some eating utensils for them.

“Sit, eat with me Blythe…I want to make memories with you while I am still here.” He said rather ominously.

[Blythe]

"I will always be older than you Serrif, and although it may not show in body, for my people age well, it will show in my mind. My thoughts will change. The way I view the world will alter. But, if you love me truly, and completely, my feelings for you won't. No matter how your body changes. How old you grow to be, in both body and mind," Blythe commented. "And you simply cannot know if you will hurt me, or I you. I myself, do not know, even as one gifted by Avalis, what shall come to pass. I know how it seems. That those so old here, still seem so young. But we are not... it seems cruel. That the rest of the world ages, while we seemingly stay the same. As we live on for centuries, as long as the gods favor us. As we watch others fade away, while our own beauty blossoms, alongside our minds." Blythe paused. "But looks are deceiving Ser, and you should not judge a book by its cover. Surely you know that by now, love?" Blythe sighed, "my grandmother, Rose, although she looks no older than me, has lived far longer. Even though she seems to be a teenager to your eyes, she complains bitterly, when she thinks no one is listening, of the pain she feels... the pain of her knees. The pain of her back... same as any of your kind would once they have reached an older age." Blythe paused. "We are not all that different from you. But, you seem to think it, despite your not truly understanding everything... if you truly love me, will you not allow yourself to see Ser? To be happy alongside me, should that be what your heart truly desires?"

Blythe took a step closer to Ser. "You can be happy with me Serrif, if that's what you want. I can love you, and you me, and if you do indeed perish long before I do, I may always find another to bring me the joy you once brought me." Blythe paused. "Much like if I were to die before you, you could find someone else." The woman swallowed the clump of saliva that had gathered in her throat. "You should not allow your fear of the future to get in the way of your happiness. Neither of us knows what will come to pass, nor can either of us truly control what will... you shouldn't push me away simply because our races exhibit two separate lengths of life. We shouldn't fail to be friends or something more, simply because we're different, in some ways. Simply because you are afraid to hurt me... I care about you Ser, and want you to be happy too... and if I may be so bold, would like to say that I doubt doing this will truly benefit either of us. Contribute to either of our happiness... don't pretend even for an instant, that sacrificing yourself in this way is what is best. It's not. You can't know it is... please Ser, reconsider. If you want to explore those feelings. Everything you keep pent up inside your heart, I will be there to do it with you. If you will only have me." Blythe gulped. "Please think about it, before we both, wind up getting hurt."

Blythe inched even closer to Serrif, and reached into the pan with her right hand. She pinched a piece of flaky white meat off the nearest fish, and lifted it delicately to her lips. She opened them, and licked the meat from her fingers. A moment later, she had closed her mouth and begun to chew, taking in the slightly burnt taste of the otherwise salty, flavorful fish. She smiled weakly, happily. When she had finished chewing, she whispered, "it's not bad Ser," before reaching for another bite and chewing on it thoughtfully. "And I'd appreciate if you didn't talk like that. Dira works in the strangest of manners... sometimes, it seems as though even Avalis herself cannot predict her next move."

The woman fell silent after that, for a very long time. Simply listening to the sound of the waves as they crashed into the shore, to the fire as it crackled upon its wooden bed. "Now tell me Ser, other than fishing and working at the Opal Temple, what have you been up to?" Blythe asked.

[Serrif Von Chatlyn]

Blythe was only proving to him that there was so much about these Konti that he didn’t know. Was it true that outwardly they stayed young but inside their body still hurt and ached with age? Even though they looked so young that they still hurt and had the aches and pains from old age? He wasn’t used to hearing good news, news that led him to believe he could actually have something he wanted. He had never been allowed to have anything he wanted. His wants, needs and desires were always cast aside. Maybe it was so he could get ahead in medicine, train harder with Ildin or achieve something he previously thought impossible. But his wants and desires always took back seat cast aside so that he could try and just survive here.

Blythe was tempting him…he wanted to love her. He did love her already, but part of him wanted to fight this blossoming feeling. Her beauty had tempted him beyond her belief. The way she understood him was far beyond that of anyone he had met here so far. She had seen his past more than once now and she knew where he had come from as well as what he had gone through. She understood what events had forged the man through fire and hell that now stood defeated by a simplistic feeling of love for her. Why was love such a complex feeling for Serrif? Maybe…it had darker roots inside his mind and past? Maybe part of him wanted to distance itself from love because it was a hindrance. What would become of them if he stayed here with Blythe? Would he move in with her family surrounded by Blythe and her extended family? Or would he build a house of his own? Did he even have enough coin to buy or build a house right now? He didn’t think he could afford a house right now.

But what of his death when he eventually did pass away what would happen to Blythe and the daughters that they had…well if they had children. There had to be things in place for this. So many Konti took lovers and eventually these men left the Konti to raise the children. Maybe they were merchants, or seasonal visitors but he knew he hadn’t seen many men besides himself and Taith here. Taith was lucky he would live to love Kail for a very long time. But Serrif on the other hand…well his lifespan would be far shorter. But did length of his relationship with Blythe say anything about the depth of it? But could he love her knowing that one day he would die and she would pass on without him raising their daughters in the house that they built together. And one day tell her granddaughters stories about him how deeply he loved her until the day he died. He pondered this listening to Blythe intently. He knew for her he would be a passing memory, but for him she would be the rest of his life. The one woman he loved freely and openly with everything he had.

The realization of this frightened him. He had spent so much time hiding what and who he was. Where he had been as well as what he had done. But now he would have to rip down all those walls and be completely exposed to someone. He didn’t know if he was ready to disclose all of that to her just yet. It was dangerous for him to be around her. She had only seen flashes of what he had been…of what he had done. And she screamed cried and felt violated. And he knew these weren’t even the worse of it, there were far darker corners she hadn’t wondered into yet. Corners that he himself was afraid to go to. But there in that darkness was where his demons stared back at him contemplating how to cause the most damage to the scarred and beaten man before them. It was an ongoing battle for the man he wanted to be against the man his demons were driving him to be. He had taken the hate and driven it toward becoming the man he was. He hurt of his past drove him to be stronger and faster than his opponent. But as far as his nightmares…they were breaking him slowly trying to make him into a killer. Part of him wanted to hunt down and kill the men who had done this to him. But would that solve anything? He was unsure.

Blythe broke his constant spiral of thought by complimenting on the fish. His mind came back and he nodded. “This is how I live Blythe.” He set the pan aside on the sand and produced a fork and spoon…he had a knife too but that wouldn’t do them any good here. The fish was tender enough to eat with a spoon. He handed Blythe the fork and then took a small bite with the spoon. The fish was indeed delicious just like he thought it would be. It was a little burned but that was to be expected every now and then.

“I have been studying at the Temple, and training as usual with Ildin. Really nothing much to talk about. I have little to do here besides work at the Temple and training with Ildin. Although Lym and Ildin have been acting…a little out of the ordinary lately. Like they know something I do not.” Serrif shrugged and sighed a little. It seemed all the Konti here knew something he didn’t.

[Blythe]

Blythe smiled as she extended her right hand to retrieve the fork from Serrif's grasp. "Thank you," she whispered, as her fingers wound delicately around it, and she forced the prongs into a section of tender, flaky fish. She pulled off a small piece, and lifted it to her lips. Forcing it against her tongue, and chewing thoughtfully as she extracted the fork. Listened.

"That doesn't seem too likely Ser," Blythe commented. "At least, if you're worried they may know something about your future that you do not. You see Ser, anyone who is marked by the same goddess, can sense the marks in others. No matter the amount of marks, if they have fewer, more, or the same as the person they're picking up on." Blythe absently picked up another flake of fish with her fork, and held it over the pan, as she spoke, so as not to drop it, or speak while trying to chew. "As you know, Avalis' gift gives the power of sight. Into the past, with one mark, the present with two, and into the future with further marks... as far as I know, the only women on the Island who can gaze into the future are Shahal Timandre, and the Konti Matriach herself."

The Konti paused for a moment, as she took another bite of food. "Unless you mean to say that you think they're merely keeping secrets from you?" Blythe asked. "Although that seems unlikely in and of itself, considering how word passes around here." Blythe didn't want to ask if he was referring to how they may be keeping aspects of his condition from him. Things they knew about how he was recovering from his past, which he may not be able to see or feel. Unless he was not recovering at all. Unless he was merely growing worse, which she doubt. He simply seemed too much better for the thought to truly take hold within the confines of her mind.

Surely Serrif could not be dying.

"You probably shouldn't think much of it though, Ser," Blythe commented. "Considering most of the Konti women are a bit strange," she giggled, her eyes sparkling as a smile spread across her face. From ear to ear. An expression which served to merely brighten her features. Add an extra sense of light to that already cast by the fire. Its orange glow flickering silently across her pale flesh. Sending some of the scales that lined her forehead into a shimmering pink mass.

OOCBleh. Lousy post. My apologies.