Closed If only we knew... (Razkar)

[Edreina]

The funny thing about sails is that no matter how strong they may look, if you leave them folded for too long, you're just making yourself a really bad day in the not too distant future. Sure, folding them is fine, in general, but the longer you leave them hunched in one position, the more they have in common with a brittle old man. One strong gust and- Well you get the rest. As much as she hated to admit it, toiling over her sail was a labor of love. It may have been dirty, annoying, and rather smelly as she smeared animal fat mixed with oil over the sails, but it was the land-strider's action of getting a horse reshoed, fixing the mortar of their home, and painting their front door a lovely shade of blue all rolled into one. A strong sail and well kept ship were travel, safety, and even the way that Svefra judged one another. The only ships that did not need a good couple of bells of sail-care and barnacle-scraping were... well none. And so the redhead toiled and toiled, hands growing slick and soft as she worked over the sails. Even with the minute gusts they were graced with, head fiery mane seemed intent upon tangling with her long lashes and getting caught between her lips. It got to the point that she contemplated asking Razkar what had become of her yellow bandanna. But, looking upon him with a small smile, the Svefra could not work up the self control to get him to pause in his efforts. Slick with sweat, years of carefully honed muscles ebbed and flowed beneath dusky skin, creating an all too enticing rhythm. When he glanced up and caught her staring, a feverish blush claimed Edreina's cheeks and she set about caring for her sails once more, hands moving furiously in an attempt to keep herself from smiling up at him. Despite the fact that they were both now aware of one another's feelings, old habits were hard to break. Glances were still stolen at the Myrian's defined torso, his rippling arms and chest, pocketed and kept as fodder for fantasies later on. Occasionally, one such glance would lead to a flash of imagery and teeth latching upon her soft lower lip. Obviously, things were getting a bit out of hand. With renewed vigor, Edreina set about tending her sail, lips pursed and hands a flurry of motion. Finally, the last corner was in sight. From there she would have to do naught but refold and roll the sail. Just a few more chimes and- The unexpected water hit her in such a way that a woman exceedingly accustomed to the assault of the angsty tide cried out in shock, leaping to her feet and automatically taking a step back, as if that would save her from further attack. With a fierce cry, she hurled herself at the Myrian, managing to get them both onto the deck but her in the position of power. "Oh yeah? So petching funny, aren't ya?" Giggling to the point that the intended vehemence of her words was no more intimidating than a grandmother mouse's fart, Edreina shook her soaked hair at him. The end result was a pile of mismatched flesh connected only by matching grins. Dizzy from shaking her head so furiously and annoyed with how tendrils seemed to abruptly transform in to octopus tentacles so that they could cling to her freckled face, Edreina groaned gently and rolled away from him, breathing slightly accelerated by the excitement of it all. Locks of hair were flicked away from her visage with disdain, blue eyes narrowing as she glared faintly at the nearly gold tips. Despite how much she loved her hair, too much of a good thing could really get on anyone's nerves. As flighty as ever, the Svefra made a rather monumental decision upon a whim. A bit slower than she would have had both of her arms been up for the task of assisting her catapult into a standing position, Edreina rose and made her way back over to the hatch that separated hold and open air. An instant later, she returned, Razkar's gladius held rather familiarly in her left hand. Whatever horrified looks Razkar may have directed at her, the redhead continued her mission by perching carefully upon the ship's railing. Leaning forward, the Svefra gathered all of her hair into her right hand, running the grip down the crimson length until her fingers came across the line that signaled the beginning of dead, dull hair. Without pause, the gladius was brought up beneath her hair and, with a few quick sawing motions, Edreina came away with a handful of dead hair. Though her hair was about a hand's-breadth-and-a-half shorter, coming only to the middle of her back instead of the small of it now, it appeared to be reinvigorated, no longer weighted by the dead bits. Shaking her head once, grin in full bloom by the end of the motion, the Svefra found this new 'do to be to her liking. It was lighter upon her head and not so hot against her back any more. For about a fraction of an instant, she considered lopping it all off, but that would be silly. Her hair was far too pretty for that. Besides, she did not have Zindr's bone structure. Smiling still, the Svefra tossed the remnants of her hair into the Suvan, sending a silent thanks to her Father and his most faithful daughter, Uleru. Part of Edreina wondered if the little Otani still had that lock of hair from so many years ago. The majority of her was, however, turning back to grin at Razkar, gladius held a bit sheepishly. Perhaps she should have asked first.

[Razkar]

They had grown closer over the season; a blind fool could tell you that much. But there were still limits they had. Unspoken rules that only rarely needed to be clarified, that were just... understood naturally, like gravity or death by drowning.

Or do not ever touch Razkar's blades.

When he turned and saw her trotting back up the stairs with a too-familiar length of sharpened steel his his hands, his smile morphed to disbelieving anger within a tick. The mop clattered down to the deck and his eyebrows came down to crush his eyes, curse and threat already forming on is tongue...

Until he saw her raise it over the railing, pulling her hair aside-

Goddess, she's going to fucking kill herself!

Images of agony, or nights spent racked by nightmares and horror, suffered alone save for tear-sodden pillows... they flashed through Razkar's mind, his fears boiling to the surface of his mind. How could he have been so blind?! His curse became a shout instead, desperate, strangled-

"Edri, NO-!"

SWISH!

-and then a crimson bundle fell from her head... and that was all.

Razkar kept staring, blinking to make sure his mind was not simply manufacturing a better scenario when it in fact knew what had happened. But when it dropped down to the Suvan... there was no head attached to it. Just a long length of thick red locks that were being discarded like a dress no longer in fashion.

She turned to him and smiled at his expression: shock and confusion did not belong on such a serious frame, but, there they were, living large and in no way shy. Razkar managed to swallow and clear his throat, eyes fluttering around before finally managing to mutter.

"Next time, ask if you can use gladius. Not for petching hairdressing..."

Her smile fell and immediately, irrationally, petching infuriatingly, he felt bad about robbing her of that radiance. Rolling his eyes and groaning softly he exhaled and added: "Looks good, though. Just... no more. Short hair, ah... too short? Not you. Look like Myrian."

His eyes flickered up and down and he gave her a fanged smile as he started walking towards her, hand stretched out for his previous heirloom and weapon.

"Too pale for that."

[Edreina]

"Next time, ask if you can use gladius. Not for petching hairdressing..." Despite being rather proud of her new hairdo, Edreina frowned softly, blue eyes clouding. It was still so easy for her to forget that not all were like her people. Among Svefra, if you needed something, you borrowed it and then returned it as soon as possible. Among these land-dwellers? Everything was mine, mine, mine. They lived without sense of pod, sense of family. If someone else needed something, be it as simple as a hook to catch a fish, and you were not using it at that exact moment, you would allow them to borrow it. It was simple kindness. But once again, Edreina was reading too far into it. Razkar had not said that she could not use his weapon, only that she should have asked before hand. And, she had to admit, doing so would have been polite. Better to beg forgiveness than ask permission, a stubborn old Fratavan saying rang in her mind. The only things missing to complete the sentiment were a petulant expression and defiantly crossed arms. "Too pale for that." Ouch. Was Raz just aiming for sore spots today? It wasn't her fault that she never grew any darker, just sprouted more freckles. Perhaps one day they would merge together and give her a nice walnut-colored tan like the rest of the blue-eyed-folk. Glaring, rather playfully despite herself, Edreina tossed the gladius towards its master before turning and swaying her way back to the sail. For added effect, she flicked her newly-cut hair over her shoulder, red strands rippling in the air for longer than normal as a gust rocked them. As quickly as she could manage, pointedly ignoring the Myrian, Edreina finished tending to the sail and then began to fold it. Once the entire thing was about a fourth of the width, she started at one end and, crawling oddly along the deck, rolled it up tightly. If she had been in better condition, she would have carried the enormous roll of canvas below deck herself just to prove a point. The thought, however, of another flaring pain from her shoulder brought a soft chill to her skin, a rippling shudder down her spine. Not worth it. "Raz, would you mind, ahm... carrying this below deck for me?" Hands clasped carefully behind her back, ankles together, the wide-eyed Svefran lass was an image of contrition. Glancing around once, her eyebrows leapt in surprise. "Did a really good job with the deck," the mutter, despite being voiced aloud, was mainly meant for herself. His superior strength seemed to have given him the ability to match her long-acquired skill in the area of dirt removal. Or he had been lying all along and was actually Svefra. Whether he decided to help her or not, Edreina trotted over to retrieve the mop and began to make her way below deck. It was darker now, light lingering faintly in the early limbo that could easily be dawn or twilight, and something about the way that the shadows moved caused Edreina to falter on the second to last rung of the ladder. Frozen in a moment of panic, the Svefra misjudged a well-traveled distance and fell to the floor with a crash and a surprised curse. Despite the raging ache in her knees, the Svefra clutched the mop tightly with both hands, blue eyes moving sightlessly as her mind remembered the flash of a blade, a grunt, the taste of blood, moving in a whirl around a mountainous man, being caught, watching the gladius she had just held so thoughtlessly sail into her shoulder with a sickening squelch. She wanted to run, to scream and disappear beneath the waves. Every nightmare she had woken from sweating at the healer's, every flashback as something caused her wound to smart, they all seemed like ephemeral daydreams compared to the horror of standing in her hold once more, inherently malicious shadows much the same, staring at the place where she had been held hostage. A creak from above alerted her to Razkar's presence. He was here; they were safe. Steeled by the thought, Edreina forced herself to lock away all of her fear once more, to save it for a time when none could see nor hear her. Scrambling slightly, for fear he may be coming down, Edreina rose to her feet and scurried over to where she had first collected the mop, shoulders trembling lightly. If he asked what was wrong, she would be unable to look him in the eyes, choosing instead to mumble about tripping. After that she would claim fatigue and rifle about her belongings, almost manically, until she came across a blanket or something suitable to be used as a pillow. From there, she would find a piece of deck and claim it as her own. For some reason, she did not trust herself to say goodnight to Razkar, to say anything to her friend. It was as if simply opening her mouth would release all of the fear she kept locked away so tightly. She could not burden her friend with her own cowardice.

[Razkar]

Razkar did not see much of sunsets in Falyndar. His clan lands, the road to Taloba, his patrols in the jungle and the Sacred City itself, all were largely under the choking canopy of the trees, so thick that the sun was rarely seen at all. There had been a couple of mornings in Taloba, with Ayatah on on guard duty on the walls...

But he had never seen one over the water.

His weathered and hardened face cracked into a slow smile of quiet awe as he watched Syna daintily kiss the horizon, setting the shimmering surface ablaze like a mountain of diamonds suddenly spilled across quicksilver. He inhaled that final breath of air spiked with the glowing orbs rays... and the ball began to dip, to drop... and the night closed in.

"Sleep well, Mother," he whispered to the vanishing light, looking upward to see where Syna's beloved would emerge, fat and glistening in the blue-black sky. "Father will watch over us 'til you return..."

Scraping and steps behind him. His friend returned but there was something focused in her movements... purposeful. He smiled at her; she smiled back... and that was it. Razkar frowned and watched her set down her blanket, her pillow, settle down and be still.

He grimaced, thoughts churning but finally shrugged it off. She had been through much and sleep was probably a blessed respite for her, despite everything. He did the same, in his own fashion, fastidiously hanging his harness up on the railing and spreading out his cloak under it, doubling it over to serve as a decent mattress.

The humid air told him he would not need a blanket, and when he laid down, he made sure his ax and gladius were within easy reach... and his kukri was next to his head.

Razkar sighed, smelling salt and sweat and soap on the decks. His head lolled to look over at his friend, one last time, and he smiled at her shorter but still lustrous hair.

"Sleep well... Edri."

His eyes closed and with sleep came with its usual soft embrace, enfolding him in dark, weightless peace... which was shattered a few bells later.

Whimpering. Moaning. Pain given a voice.

The Myrian's hands were on his weapons before his eyes even snapped open, body jerking upright, one foot already on the deck, eyes slashing around in the darkness-

The noise, coming from her, an intruder-

His lips curled back in a hateful glare... but there was no-one. Naught but shadows and soft, warm wind above his tossing friend. It took him a few tIcks to realize she was under attack.

But now here. Not where he could defend her.

"Edri?" He placed his weapons back on the deck and crawled over to her, barely fifteen feet away. "Edri, it's... it's OK..."

He used her word as he hovered over her, face contorted with helpless concern. She was thrashing, lips drawn back as she flailed at an invisible tormentor. He was almost afraid to touch her, to even-

-her hand whipped towards him-

-and his own snapped out without thought, locking around her wrist-

-with a gasp she awoke, eyes wide, panting, fear turgid in her eyes.

"I'm here." The words came so quickly, so easily, like he had always known what to say. His black eyes bored down at her without their usual stony coldness... and he pressed her palm to his cheek. She felt the texture of his toughened, scarred skin and the marks of ink under them. "I'm here..."

[Edreina]

Behind her. They were always behind her. The man on the ship, that night on the Anchorage. Ekvan... They were always behind her, pinning her limbs, breathing in her ear, thick fingers grasping at her body. They were always behind her, threatening her, instilling that sour primal fear that clogged the body for days after. It had become her common nightmare. Hands gripping, grabbing, threatening her from behind, from where she could not see their face, could not look into their eyes. The hot feeling of their breath on her neck was the worst; it was that sickening, cloying, animalistic feeling of being hunted. She always felt so helpless. Upon instinct, Edreina lashed out at the figure behind her, hand curled into a feral talon- Only for it to be stopped by a very real hand. Oh gods... Oh gods I'm not dreaming! The panicked thought raced through the redhead's mind as she registered only the feeling of another hand being locked around hers, restraining her. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Edreina registered the familiar tone of skin contrasting her own so starkly. But in that moment, she knew only fear. With a whimper, she attempted to pull away, to break the vice upon her hand. No! No it can't happen! Not again! "I'm here." The words were a balm upon her ears, stilling here. By all rights, she should be afraid of the dimly lit figure who was there. But that voice, whispered so gently and with such familiarity it could have been her ship speaking through gentle creaks and moans. The voice was everything that was safe and that was kind in her life. With two words, Razkar had slowed her heart's hummingbird rhythm, had banished all but the most deeply etched traces of fear from her vibrant blue eyes. When her hand rested upon his face, Edreina could not help but sigh gently. This face that struck fear into so many hearts, that growled and snarled and ripped away lives without a second thought, was relaxed save for his brows, tight beneath her fingertips as she felt his concern, his compassion. "I'm here..." With her thumb, Edreina traced the outer edge of his lips, eyes focusing on the vibrant shade of her skin, pressed against his so tenderly. Just as the villain was always behind her, Razkar always seemed to have her back. He was always there for her, as a friend at first, then a teacher and now... well the more part was still being defined. He cared for her, and she knew. She cared for him, and hoped that he knew. Emotions had always been a funny thing for Edreina, fleeting away and disappearing before they ever left a mark upon her, like the riotous waves on the open sea. But this emotion, whatever it was she felt for Razkar, was more akin to a warm fire, beginning as embers buried deep within her being. But, as it grew, it became impossible to ignore it. Now, it scorched her from the inside out, pinking her cheeks as if she ran a fever whenever the most faint thought of the dark-skinned warrior prowled through her mind. Stilling her fingertips, Edreina leaned in slowly, hesitantly, breath spiking once again. They were so close. But a breath still separated them. For some reason, in the darkness of her hold, a kiss seemed to be so intimate. It seemed as if it would mean so much more than any they could share during the daylight, before the scrutinizing glances of Sylirians. Edreina paused, glancing away uncertainly. Why was it that the moment they were alone, she was as shy as a maiden? This effect he had on her was utterly baffling, and more than a bit terrifying. Fearing a gentle rebuff, Edreina began to lean away from him. She was tired, and that was all. It would all be so much clearer in the morning.

[Razkar]

He ached to kiss her. There was something perversely erotic about the flush in her face, the wildness in her eyes, and only the knowledge of what had put it there stayed the Myrian. Even in those fractured seconds after did he realize that it would be... almost a violation. Akin to forcing himself upon her in a weakened state, and the gods alone knew what that would bring about.

Edreina solved it for him, thankfully. She turned her eyes from the one that woke her, seeming to confirm that, yes, she was indeed awake and the monstrous shades of her nightmares couldn't hurt here. She leaned away, panic over...

Razkar leaned down... and next to her.

She stiffened slightly when he laid down, body almost flush against hers, spooning behind her without anything but his hand touching her. His lips still tingled with her fingers on them, and unseen by her, he licked his lips.

Salt. Sweat. Soap. So much more.

"Maybe would help for me to be here," he said, voice so strange as it wavered between resolution and uncertainty. Razkar had accomplished many things in a short life, but comforting a borderline-traumatized barbarian was not one of them. "You know I am here? Maybe sleep better."

Silence between them. He didn't know if that was good and bad and gods-damn-and-fuck-it-all, why was he so clueless about all this?! He scowled into the back of her head and heard the murmurs from neighboring ships, some of them questioning as if wondering what the noise was about.

Did you hear that? Came from the Svefra.

Probably the Myrian. Should we call the Knights?

On him? You call the petching Knights!

This is a mistake. You should go back to your side, keep an eye on her and-

She moved against him. A warm wall of flesh against his, and through undeniable eroticsm of it he felt a... trust. Goddess, did that frighten him. She relaxed with his arm over her now, and out of instinct he curled it over her arm, wrapped it around her chest and held her hand under her chin.

... and don't move.

"I am here." He whispered into her hair, setting his head back down with a sigh. "I will try to make dreams safe..."

[Edreina]

As he lay down with her, an unseen force seemed to crackle in the space between the two, sending a shiver down her spine. With him this close, the wish to kiss him seemed to be amplified, setting her lips ablaze. "Maybe would help for me to be here... You know I am here? Maybe sleep better." She was still, considering his words. Was it true that he effected her so strongly? Was it possible for him to act as a guardian in the realm of dreams? Trying to control a dream was like trying to hold the Suvan in your hands. It was always changing and morphing in a way that freed it from your grasp. But, for some reason, the simple thought that he was there, protecting her, seemed to chase away any of the fear she had fallen asleep with. Finally, she relaxed and shifted slightly so that she was more comfortable. Her sigh was soft as her fingers remained curled with his, thumb moving gently across his hand. "I am here. I will try to make dreams safe..." Each word curled about and caressed Edreina, enveloping her in a sense of safety and security. Something, though, something was still not quite right. Despite the fact that she knew who lay behind her, she could already feel her drowsy mind begin to change it, to warp and corrupt it. With a groan, she released his hand and rolled in his embrace, filling her vision with dusky skin and a myriad of tattoos and scars. Lifting her head for an instant, she scooted her makeshift pillow over until he could use it too if he chose to do so, it was the lease she could do. In this position, her nose could have skimmed his chest ever so slowly, so carefully as she took in the comforting scent of him, had she been endowed with the courage to do so; her eyes easily roamed the open expanse of his throat, his shoulders. Each thought that danced through her head was better than the last, but this was not the time for such a mindset. Now was the time for sleep. More would come, if ever, later on, when they were both fully conscious and able to be accountable for their actions. With her lips pursed, the redhead crossed one leg over the other, as if that would banish the throbbing whims of her body. With a small smile, she glanced apologetically up at the Myrian before closing her eyes once more, curled hands coming up to rest against her chest. Deep within her mind, Edreina wondered over what was to come for them. But, at that moment in time, there was no need for such worrying. With a contented sigh, Edreina descended into a dreamless sleep.

[Perplexity]

Riddled With Rewards Edreina Experience Skill XP Earned Stealth + 1 EXP Acting + 2 EXP Observation +3 EXP Socialization +3 EXP Swimming +2 EXP Composition +1 EXP Philosophy +1 EXP Persuasion +1 EXP Interrogation +1 EXP Lores • Lore Earned • Sneaky, Sneaky, Sneaky: Escaping the Med Ward • Acting: Disguising Pain • Between Friendship and…Something Else. • Law of Attraction, The Realm of Opposites • On the Nature of Dhani, More Beast than Men • Picking Up the Pieces of a Broken Home • Savage Sanctuary: Strength in Razkar’s Arms • Treasured Memories: The Gems of the Heart • The Fires of Passion: Truly Kissing Razkar • Vision of Harmony: Razkar At Peace Razkar Experience Skill XP Earned Rhetoric + 2 EXP Medicine + 1 EXP Persuasion + 3 EXP Seduction + 2 EXP Socialization +3 EXP Philosophy +2 EXP Cooking +1 EXP Lores • Lore Earned • Cajoles and Curses: Bumping into Edreina • Medical Knowledge: Testing For Pain • Sarcasm, One of Many Services I Offer • Calloused Affection • Dhani, It’s What’s For Dinner • Pillar of Strength: Being there for Edreina • Bargaining with Navis • Aya, An Echo of the Past • Medicine of the Heart: An “OK” Kiss • Embracing Emotions: Feelings for Edreina Notes : I can’t put into words how wonderful this thread was. I tip my hat to the both of you. Well done. Well done indeed. • | Cheva’s Gift- If ever the Goddess of Love smiled upon a fated union it would be between Razkar and Edreina. Though the world is harsh and its troubles many both may share in this knowledge, each is comforted by the other’s presence. • | For Edreina- Razkar’s presence is a balm. The gentlest touch, the slightest smile can make troubles seem less daunting. With his presence however comes certain…urges. • | For Razkar- Edreina is the calm within the storm. When she is near protective instincts flare but she also brings with her the freedom of just…being yourself. With that though there are certain…urges. If you have questions regarding your grades feel free to PM me at your earliest convenience.