Contemplation (kovac) (N17+)

[Shayth]

3rd day of Fall, evening.

Sitting in the dim half light of the setting sun, Shayth brushed her long thick tresses, staring into nothing. A cool breeze tugged at the already brushed strands, chilling the bare skin on her arms and torso. Turiska was in her nest, settling in for the night. Even from this distance, the rider could hear the soft chirrup she made as she preened her feathers. Placing down the brush, the endal picked up a feather. It was Turiska's. Pulling out a lock of hair from behind her ear, Shayth began to braid, weaving a black ribbon through it as she went. When she reached the end, the woman entwined Turiska's feather into it. Looking at the lock, she ran a thumb over it. Since she'd returned to the bird, she'd had a lot on her mind. Kovac in particular.

Sighing, Shayth dropped the braid and rested her arms on her knees, looking out over the orange lit world. The archer was on her mind, and it confused her. Turiska was all she'd devoted her life to. She was her protector and friend, but Kovac was human. Someone she could relate to on a different level. He stirred feelings, new feelings. And he made her feel...

Resting her cheek on her crossed arms, Shayth smiled at the memory. Arrogant, almost violent - the avora was thrilling. His michevious grin and his challanging gaze left her competly witless. Since they'd shared the night together, Shayth hadn't seen the man. Granted, Turiska had kept her in utter lockdown since. The bird was not so subtley ensuring Shayth didn't escape again. Maybe it was a good thing.

Not for the first time in the past few days, the endal felt a surge of anger. Not even an attempt to see her. The archer must have had second thoughts once she'd been out of his sight. Stupid good for nothing man. Turiska was right, they were all after one thing. Her smile faded, and the endal lifted her head to look on as the sun finally set. Turiska was her priority, and thats how it should be. Not cocky half-bloods.

[Kovac]

After the evening meal, Kovac had made his way towards the Aeries. Kovac did not relish entering the Riders' lairs, but had done so on a few occasions to meet with Amon to arrange a drop off at a hunting site for the next day. That was his purpose on this evening. Well, not actually. His self-declared purpose was to meet with Amon. The truth was, he could have easily done so in the Communal Kitchen. His motivation to enter the quarters of his antagonists was of a more covert nature, the chance to see Shayth. The memory of the evening with the tall redheaded Rider had haunted him like a demon, unwilling to be banished. She had made an impression on him like none other since Kalle. No matter what his activity, the woman's image arose. Even as he abjectly strummed his lute, he found himself finding chord progressions that just seemed to evoke thoughts of her. Such distraction at the thought of a woman unnerved the irritable Avora, who did not want to possess that kind of weakness. Eventually he could no longer stand it and succumbed. He had to find her. Teh archer slid up the stone stairway, avoiding eye contact. Most riders knew he worked with Amon, and though they may not have liked him, they did not harass the hunter for Amon's sake. Slinking down the carved corridors, Kovac found his way to the opening to Shayth and Turiska's aerie. A talkative Drudge with a mop had shown the way. Kovac paused. His stomach danced with a nervous tightness. He had no idea what he was doing. Turiska was probably in there. The Wind Eagle surely hated him, could kill him with little or no consequence. But it all played into the arousing danger that surrounded his tryst with Shayth. She elicited an excitement the Avora could not deny. Pressing his back against the wall just outside her home, Kovac listened. He heard nothing. Building up his nerve, the archer peered carefully around the corner into the room. He did not see the eagle, but did spy Shayth as she sat with his back to him, looking out past the ledge of their den. The sight of the woman sent a subtle thrill through his core, and he paused a moment to watch her, concealing himself as much as possible. He had no idea what his next move would be.

[Shayth]

Shayth continued to watch as the sun slowly set, confused and angry and all together awake. Turiska's small sounds had settled down, and the bird was now tucked into herself, head under one wing. Only a half closed golden eye could be seen from the riders vantage point, and that was slowly becoming completely shut. As the sun disappeared, Shayth stood and moved toward the nest. Turiska opened her eye to look at the redhead as she lifted her hooded riding cloak off a tall coat-rack.

"Where are you going?" The voice in her mind was soft with the close onset of sleep. Pulling on her cloak, the rider moved to the bird and scratched her head.

"I can't sleep, and I need dinner. There's nothing here for a human to eat. I won't leave Sky-Reach." Turiska closed her eye again, her mind foggy.

"Don't go for long." Shayth smiled and stood back. There was no point replying as the wind eagle was already asleep. She wouldn't go far, and she would be back as quickly as she could. Turiska deserved her word, and it would earn her trust back. Turning, she made her way out of the aerie.

[Kovac]

Kovac drew back slightly as Shayth stood, watching her until she vanished from view, Turiska's nest hidden from his vantage point. There was silence coming from the aerie. Cursed telepathy!. The Avora found it unnerving that the riders and eagles spoke without speaking, you never knew when they were talking, and what they were saying about you. Amon's eagle liked to taunt Kovac telepathically. You can't cover your mental ears with your hands. The sound of approaching boots scraping across the aerie's stone floor compelled Kovac to pull back, flattening against the corridor wall next to the opening. Moments later the tall rider stepped through the doorway. Kovac reached out, grabbed her by the arm and swung her around until her back was against the wall. The archer stood in front of her, close, his hand resting against the wall by her head, his other releasing her arm and lifting to rest against the wall on the other side. He inhaled her rich scent, locking his gaze on her bright blue eyes. With his roguish grin, Kovac spoke, his hushed voice betraying his desire to remain unheard by Turiska. "So, is she letting you out now Rider?"

[Shayth]

Shayth breathed heavily as adrenaline settled in her veins. Her eyes were wide with shock and she held a small dagger in her hand, pointed ready to impale Kovac in the guts. Inside the aerie, she could feel Turiska's foggy mind pulling itself out of sleep in response to her panicked thoughts.

Reaching up with one hand, she pressed her palm over the archers grin, silencing him.

"Shayth, what's going on?" Calming her thoughts, the rider looked away from Kovac so she could think straight.

"Yes, I'm fine. I just scared myself with my own shadow. Go back to sleep. I'll be home soon." Turning back to Kovac, the endal scowled and lowered her hand.

"What in the petching hell were you doing!?" She hissed back, putting away the dagger. Angrily, she pushed his arm aside and continued to walk. Her heart thumped madly against her chest as she moved, unsure of exactly what she wanted to say or do now that Kovac was actually here. She'd thought about him constantly since their encounter and spent many a moment getting mad at his memory - for the simple fact he hadn't come to see her. Now he was here, and Turiska was in there.

"Turiska is just being more cautious. I scared her the other day, and it hurt her. I shouldn't have stayed away all night. I'm an endal, I should be as dedicated to my eagle as she is to me." The speech sounded more like Shayth was trying to convince herself than Kovac.

[Kovac]

Kovac's wry grin faded and his eyes widened in surprise, first by the sharp point of a dagger pricking his abdomen, and secondly by Shayth's hand over his mouth. Her blue eyes flashed hotly, her jaw set with stern displeasure. As the Rider turned her head away, Kovac knew she was talking to Turiska, though he heard nothing. The archer's alarm turned to slighted anger as she scolded him with a voice that was hushed but laced with venom. After Shayth pushed him aside, Kovac turned to follow her, taking long steps to match her lenghty stride. Her unexpected anger caused his own temper to flare and now he steamed after her, ready to take on the sharp-tongued woman. "I came to find you, how else was I ever going to see you?" He hissed, laboring to keep pace with the quickly walking Endal. "I haven't seen you around, petching excuse me for trying." The archer was hot now. He had come at considerable personal risk to see her, because he wanted to be with her. Maybe the whispering doubts were right, maybe he had just been a one night recreational exercise for Shayth. Kovac strode ahead of the woman, "Should have known, Endal will always be Endal." He muttered, loud enough for Shayth to hear. He would never admit it, but Kovac was hurt. He had thought about Shayth a lot as well, more than he had of any woman since Kalle. He had expected her to be happy to see him. Her opposite reaction, and the fact that he felt the weakness of his heartache, only made the cynical Avora more surly and bitter.

[Shayth]

Shayth continued to stalk through the mostly empty corridor, her anger intensifying with each step. At first, she'd been flat out scared witless and had simply reacted out of self defence. Then she'd been terrified Turiska had heard, would come screaming to Kovac's demise. Then of course, she'd been angry that he'd startled her, and angry it had been too long since she'd seen him. She didn't know how to deal with it all, so she took it out on him. But now that the shock and the anger were going, she felt a whisk of giddiness in her belly and a rise of anger at his words. Did he really think that?

"Excuse me!? What is that supposed to mean? Avora, I'm talking to you, you petching drudge." Stepping up her pace, the rider caught up to the archer, grabbing his arm to spin him around. As he turned, she ambushed him. Catching his face with both hands, the endal kissed him deeply, hungrily. The redhead had missed his stupid, stubborn, narky self. As much as she struggled with the feelings between himself and Turiska, she couldn't fight them. Her attentions were fierce, as the fiery anger that had built up as she walked dissipated into her kiss. Revelling in the feel of his lips, like a moth to a flame, Shayth shifted her hands to the back of his head, holding him there for as long as she could before he could react. He was angry, just like her, and she wouldn't be surprised if he just got angrier. Petch it all, she thought. If this was to be our last meeting, at least I can remember something good.


Breaking away, she glared at him.

"You can't just grab me out of the blue and expect me to suddenly be little miss excitement." Pursing her lips slightly, the endal allowed herself a moment of vunerability.

"I thought you'd forgotton me by now."

[Kovac]

Shayth's fiery insult and her rough manhandling spiked Kovac's anger. His mouth opened to unleash a barbed barrage of crass insults intended to shield himself from the sting of her apparent rejection. But Shayth's unexpected assault, the heat of her passionate kiss, instantly diffused his anger as he rocked back on his heels and shifted to keep from falling backwards. His hands flew around her, fingers entwining in her long red mane. When the sassy Rider finally let him up for air, he greeted her glare with a bit of shock and a the corner of his mouth turned up slightly. No, he did not expect her to be little miss excitement, nor did he expect the fiery anger. But her venomous tongue and indignant attitude was actually arousing. Shayth was still strong-willed and explosive, and he loved it. Kovac let a suppressed laugh escape his lips. "Forgotten you?" He started to make some snide remark, but caught the sincerity of Shayth's comment in her brilliant blue eyes. The Avora allowed her a moment of honesty. "Shayth, I have not stopped thinking about you." His gaze dropped down in an almost embarrassed way, then darted around the hallway. "I came up here to find you because I couldn't find you anywhere else." He admitted, his gaze returning to hers. "Blast it woman, I can't get you out of my head." Kovac hissed, as if it was her fault. Suddenly seeing Shayth again, hearing her sharp tongue, tasting her warm kiss, had all but undone Kovac. The archer's hands had grabbed fistfuls of her bryda low on her hips and he pulled her close again, this time it was his mouth that crashed against Shayth's, the fervor of his kiss assuring the redhead that the archer still burned for her as much as the night the spent together. Finally breaking away, Kovac looked at Shayth with a grin. "Now Rider, I have risked my mongrel neck to see you. Its your turn to show me a good time!"

[Shayth]

There it was, that giddy thrill in the pit of her stomach when he spoke. The attitude and the bite still there, even when he admitted he couldn't get her out of his head. Well, at least she knew she wasn't the only one suffering in that aspect. As she felt his hands gripping her bryda, the rider already sensed the urgency in his actions and the intensity in his kiss. She felt the same sense of demand. They were wrong, completely out of line for societies standards. Any good sensed inarta who happened to catch them would rat them out instantly, and the backlash would be severe. And of course, Turiska would catch wind. Turiska...the endal knew she couldn't stay away all night again. As Kovac's lips met hers, Shayth eagerly responded.

As he broke away, she panted slightly, unable to take her eyes from his own. The cheeky avora's words only served to stoke the fire that had already flared in her gut. Looking around the hallway, she took him by the hand and pulled him down a darkened corridor. The sun had set, and in the unoccupied halls the torches that lit their paths were out. If there were prying eyes around, they would be hard pressed to make out who the silhouettes in the corridor were. Leaning against the cold stone wall, Shayth pulled him close again, pressing her mouth against him and darting her tongue across his lips. There was no way to mistake her intentions as the endal reached down to his own bryda and slipped her hand inside. They had only moments, and she was more than ready for this. She'd been ready since they'd parted.

[Kovac]

Shayth was proving to be more impulsive than Kovac gave her credit for, The Endal's eyes possessing a hungry intensity that had replaced the hot anger she exhibited before seizing him in a passionate kiss. His head spinning to look down the hallway in either direction, Kovac almost stumbled as the long-legged Rider grabbed his hand and dragged him down the dark side corridor. Once again, as she pulled the archer against herself and pressed her mouth against him sensually, Shayth had eclipsed the moment. The taste of her lips and the feel of her warm hand intruding on him ignited the half-blood's passion, obscuring everything but a sudden need to have her. Her bold touch forced a quiet moan from the archer. In the back of his mind, he resented the effect Shayth had on him, having to admit that she compromised the tidy control he had over his life. He could vaguely recognize the danger she posed, both from her eagle and from the other Riders, but it became more and more irrelevant as he found himself pressing his body against the red-head. Kovak's tongue darted teasingly between her lips before he broke the kiss and met her blue gaze with a half-grin. "Just like an Endal to take matters into your own hand." He emphasized his taunt by grabbing fistfuls of her bryda at the hips, pulling her groin against his and forcing her hand firmly against him as he lengthened. "What does my dear Endal have in mind?" The Avora then pressed his mouth to Shayth's hungrily, no longer teasingly but with fervor as he parted her lips and kissed her, invasive and deep.