[Sacred Arch Hotsprings] To Warm the Blood

Asen and Lorden Meet at the Hotsprings

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Stretching northward along the coastline of the Suvan Sea, the Cobalt Mountains are the home of the Bronze Wood, numerous ruins, and creatures both strange and fantastical.

[Sacred Arch Hotsprings] To Warm the Blood

Postby Lorden Ladis on March 1st, 2015, 3:36 am

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82nd of Winter, 514 AV

Lorden looked on with azure eyes, at the beautiful, bubbling spring; as the water emitted streams of mist up into the clouded air. As he breathed, the knight welcomed the odd tingling permeating his chest, as the steam-laden air filled his lungs.

Barkeep was right, I do like this place, Lorden noted. The knight was banged and bruised; his right eye was swollen shut, the same side of his head was just as lumpy, and various cuts surrounded his body. Not to mention, even if you couldn't see the tares in his aching muscles, they were still definitely more than apparent to the swordsman.

Normally knights trained on their days off, but Lorden's body was a testament that he already gotten that out of the way. Now was the time to nurse his wounds, and let his body grow strong through its passed pain.

With the thought that he had earned a little rest in mind, the knight looked on at the spring more than eagerly. The warm air that coalesced around him, and embraced him as would a lover, was already beginning to soothe his muscle; but he still thirsted, nevertheless, for the bubbling waters, to rush around and against his flesh. Tugging at the bottom of his shirt, Lorden hesitantly looked about himself, before folding the cloth up and above his reasonably toned torso.

Bah, I'm no woman, the knight thought, as he shuffled his shirt to the crook of his non-dominant arm. Slowly, and through an ever-present aching, Lorden removed his boots and dropped his cloth pants. With all but the last bit of his vestments removed, the raven haired man, began unwrapping his undergarments from around his thin waist. When all the trappings of civilization had fallen or been removed from his form, leaving him bare against the warm air, Lorden bent to retrieve all of his garments.

Now, where do I... there, the knight thought with his clothes cradled in his right arm, and his leather boots hanging in his left. Seeing what he was looking for, the man began walking over to a large boulder. It only took a tick for his bare feet to carry him to the mossy rock.

Lorden ran his free hand along the moist, but dry lichen of the ancient stone. Nodding in approval, the bare twenty-year-old, retracted his left hand, and shifted his clothes from his other arm, onto the rock's flat, sloped, surface. Bending over, Lorden allowed his shoes to set to the side, off on the ground. It didn't really water if the bottoms of his boots were wet, the knight figured.

Within a chime, the young man was taking his first relaxing few steps, into the deep, warming waters, of the Sacred Arch Springs. The knight all but sighed in relief, as the first of his bruises, a large whelp on his right calf, made contact with the warm liquid he was descending into. Resisting the urge to close his eyes in bliss, Lorden tarried his careful descent into the clear pool.
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[Sacred Arch Hotsprings] To Warm the Blood

Postby Asen on March 1st, 2015, 3:39 am



It couldn't have been a better day to go to the hotsprings. It was warming up due to the approaching spring, thank the gods, but still moderately chilly. The squire's limbs felt stiff and slow as she made the fifteen-chime commute to the warming pools of water.

The surrounding forest was more or less quiet and gave Asen a chance to think. She was operating on vague memories, half-retained directions. She felt like she was going the right way. She wasn't the best at reading maps or remembering routes.

Sweet blessed gods. A break from all that snow. I've had enough of it to last a lifetime. At least it doesn't coat the bloody ground as much as it did the training grounds.

Her thoughts were basically the same until she reached the hotsprings. There was someone already there. 'Course there's gonna be someone already there. It's the damned hotsprings.

Asen wasn't a prude, but neither was she one to go about baring her loins to any passerby she deemed fit. Still, it wasn't unusual to see someone nude bathing in the springs.

The half-Dhani lifted her shirt over her head. She felt no need to wear traditional women's undergarments, being almost totally flat in the chest area, so she stuck with men's undergarments. Her thin, pale torso shook like a leaf in the wind. It was too cold to sit like that for long.

Next were her trousers. She peeled them off, the final layer following shortly. All of her clothing was folded as best as it could be with the squire's skill and sitting in a small pile. The only thing left on her body was the ring, hanging from a leather thong around her neck. It was less likely to get lost that way.

Asen gave the area a once-over. Might as well take 'im by surprise.

She bounced on the balls of her feet for a moment, then started running. She'd approached from behind the hotspring's occupant. The mixed blood leapt, bringing her knees up to her chest with a wild whoop as she fell into the warm water.

The half-Dhani surfaced, blonde curls slicked back away from her face. "Hey! That was great," she said, and sat opposite from the one she identified as an injured young man.


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[Sacred Arch Hotsprings] To Warm the Blood

Postby Lorden Ladis on March 3rd, 2015, 9:39 pm

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82nd of Winter, 514 AV

Lorden almost slipped off of the submerged rock, that he was relaxing on, as the sound of breaking water made him jump in surprise. Hot liquid all but blasted into the sky and off to the sides, flinging into Lorden's eyes and face, before it coalesced down to sprinkle the immediate area.

What?, the knight thought as the bubbling water flooded over his visage. The ruffled twenty-year old blinked, and set his arms beside and behind himself to try and stabilize his nude form.

Ah..., he mused, as his eyes locked on a blond woman, who was resurfacing from the waves, not too far off from him. At the sight of her equally as uncovered body, Lorden's brow folded up slightly, as his azure eyes peered slightly under the bouncing ripples of the waves, to the girl's bosom.

The knight drug his blue orbs away, as his heart fluttered for a momentary beat.

She doesn't seem to mind, the swordsman thought, as he saw the girl turning towards him. Calmed and oddly comforted by this revelation, the twenty-year old settled back somewhat stiffly, as he saw the hawkish woman open her lips.

"Hey! That was great," at her words, Lorden couldn't help but smirk, and let loose a small crack of a laugh.

"Aye, it looked that way," musing kindly in the affirmative, a coy thought occurred to the unarmored knight, as he underhandedly took in the woman's mature, but youthful form.

"Shouldn't a young girl like you, be out amusing her suitors or something? And not cannon balling into the local springs?," Lorden said jokingly. As sexist as it sounded, the knight meant nothing by his words, he was simply trying to start a conversation. The woman was clearly here for personal enjoyment. And what could be more enjoyable than a friendly exchange of words?

Not getting water splashed in your face, the thought bubbled to the top of his mind on it's own accord, yet almost instantly Lorden suppressed it. There had been no harm done.

I could have worse company, anyway, the young man added mentally, as the woman across from him looked on at his injured form.
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[Sacred Arch Hotsprings] To Warm the Blood

Postby Asen on March 4th, 2015, 2:31 am



Asen sank until half her face was covered by the water, enjoying the heat. Her eyes closed and she held her breath. It was certainly warm, and relaxed her muscles. It was good to get out of the cold for a while, especially since she had Dhani blood.

Speaking of blood, it looks like that guy spilled a bit before he got here. She opened her eyes and blew a bubble in the water. It almost reminded her of home.

The momentary silence was broken by the injured man. The squire burst out laughing at the word 'suitors,' bubbles exploding from her submerged mouth. She inhaled water accidentally and dissolved into a fit of coughing.

When the coughing subsided, Asen finished her laughing. "Oh, holy gods. You're funny!" she replied, sliding down into the water far enough so as to poke the young man in the stomach -- or at least, that's where she hoped she aimed.

"No, suitors aren't really my thing. Part o' the guys think I'm one o' them, another part think I'm some freak or haven't seen me before, an' the last bit mostly wanna spar. That, an' my patron would probably beat my arse if she found me in a bed other than my own. So, even if I was lookin' fer some company on a lonely night, suitors are out o' the question."

The half-Dhani smiled into the water, then raised her head. "So what happened to you? Why're you all beat up an' stuff? I'm Asen, by the way. Sessaschenaasen."


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[Sacred Arch Hotsprings] To Warm the Blood

Postby Lorden Ladis on March 6th, 2015, 4:37 am

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82nd of Winter, 514 AV

Lorden smiled wide and obligingly, softening his wave-colored eyes, as the woman exploded into a burst of welcomed mirth. The knight had always loved to see people smile; such grins always proved to be contagious on his part, and this moment was no different.

The man's visage did momentarily shift into a mirth-filled questioning look, as the woman broke into a coughing fit; almost as if to convey the question of 'having trouble there?,'.

Taking a breath of his own, the swordsman readjusted his seating, as he filled his lungs with steam-laden air, rather than warming water.

As the woman slowly came back to her senses, Lorden's smile faded into a patient smirk. The man didn't mind waiting on her, the hot springs were so relaxed; there was no other better place, to be lethargic and slow-placed than here, at least in his mind.

"No, suitors aren't really my thing. Part o' the guys think I'm one o' them, another part think I'm some freak or haven't seen me before, an' the last bit mostly wanna spar. That, an' my patron would probably beat my arse if she found me in a bed other than my own. So, even if I was lookin' fer some company on a lonely night, suitors are out o' the question," the woman's explanation brought a inquisitive look to Lorden's face, and a smile, as he caught on to a blatant hint, of some common ground they could converse on.

"So what happened to you? Why're you all beat up an' stuff? I'm Asen, by the way. Sessaschenaasen," the woman introduced herself. Lorden opened his mouth with a smile.

"That's quite the name, I'm sure my tongue would knot itself just trying to get it right," as he spoke, the man offered a small laugh.

"As for these," Lorden gestured to the large whelp that graced the right side of his head, as if to indicate all the wounds that crossed his form.

"Well, that's just what we get for being in the Order. I'm sure you've had yer' share of scratches. We all get em' and we don't complain, but I'll be damned if this water doesn't feel great. Just between you and me, I'm sore as Hai," he continued to explain. Realizing he hadn't really given the girl much to respond on, Lorden quickly worked up a question to tack on to his explanation; it was best not to let a conversation die in its infancy.

"How long have you been a Squire...? You know, I might just know yer' patron," he said smiling.

"I'm Ser Lorden Ladis by the way," the jovial twenty-year old offered, presenting his dripping hand, out from underneath the bubbling water, as he spoke.
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[Sacred Arch Hotsprings] To Warm the Blood

Postby Asen on March 6th, 2015, 5:28 am



Yeah, people usually think it's a mouthful. Damn it, Da. Why'd you give me a name that's so petchin' hard to pronounce? Asen rested her arms along the edge of the spring, tilting her head back. She closed her eyes and let out a content sigh as she listened to the young man explain his injuries.

"Yeah, this one squire broke my damned jaw a little while ago. Giant prick. 'Course we were sparring, so I guess it's expected. I know the feeling, bein' sore as petch. Fell off a horse once, when I was little. Nearly trampled me, the damn thing."

She lifted her head to look at her companion. "A season, maybe less. My patron's Ehati, I think. Haven't talked to 'er much. Short, redhead. You probably do know 'er."

The half-Dhani was about to let her head back down when the young man offered up his name.

More accurately, his name and title.

Asen sat up suddenly, her arms dropping into the water with a splash. "Woah! You're a knight? Sweet gods, I'm sorry. Holy petch, if I'd known..." she trailed off, somewhat paralyzed.

Her shock shoved her thoughts into overdrive, afraid that this knight would report her to someone and she'd be booted out of the Order for not using her patron's title and speaking about her in a way that could be interpreted as insulting.

She began to raise her arm in a salute, then noticed the Lorden's extended hand. Her eyes flicked from the hand to the knight's face, then repeated this. She hesitantly stretched out her own hand, her fingers curling around his in a handshake. "Ser. If you'd keep from tellin' Sera Ehati 'bout what I said, I'd be thankful."

She released his hand and sat back, suddenly uncomfortable. This man is a knight... Not a squire, not someone who isn't in the Order... A knight. Sweet gods, I'm gonna be in huge trouble.

Asen's eyes went to his face again. He's pretty damn young, too... And attractive. But he's a knight. Pull yourself together, Asen! the girl told herself.

The half-Dhani cleared her throat. "Do you usually get beaten up like this, or is it an anomaly? Aren't knights supposed to not get beaten up like this?"

Ah, yes. Very smooth, Asen. Petchin' idiot!


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[Sacred Arch Hotsprings] To Warm the Blood

Postby Lorden Ladis on March 7th, 2015, 1:03 am

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82nd of Winter, 514 AV

Lorden listened comfortably enough, to Asen, as the woman replied to his questions, and relayed to him a tale, that was very much relatable to his own. Soon the blonde Squire moved on with her words, to offer up the name of her patron.

Ehati..., the knight casually scoured his mind, for such a name; he couldn't recall it; and the relation of her general stature and hair color to him, did little more to ring any bells. Lorden couldn't say he could picture or recall such a knight-patron. Of course, the female would have been one among thousands; thus the knight's lack of familiarity with this 'Ehati', surprised him not.

What did surprise the swordsman, was the flash of shock that flashed over Asen's well-cut face, as he attempted to return the favor she had only just extended to him, and introduce himself.

Lorden's own visage framed a bit of confusion and trepidation, practically mirroring the Squire, as his heart jumped a bit.

All I did was say my name, the man thought to himself.

Surely no rumors are attached to it. Certainly none that would scare a Squire?, he thought, with a faltering of what little of a smile remained on his face.

However, the look on the long-haired knight's water-sprinkled features, quickly calmed, as the woman in front of him exclaimed, relating the source of her surprise to the man.

"Woah! You're a knight? Sweet gods, I'm sorry. Holy petch, if I'd known...," as the blonde spoke, the twenty-year old, formed his visage into a bit of a nervous smile; as the hearty organ in his chest began to slow, and a small sting of pride forced itself into it.

The Half-Dhani clasped his hand nervously, just as she did, Lorden's smile began to stop twitching, and his own mildly shaken calm returned, as if it was a welcome breeze on a hot summer day.

"Ser. If you'd keep from tellin' Sera Ehati 'bout what I said, I'd be thankful," Asen said somewhat hastily, deriving a bit of a raised eyebrow and a smirk from the man she was joining hands with.

"Heh, I don't even know the good Sera, and if yer' that cautious of yer' words coming back to her, I might not want to. You know what, don't even tell her I said that," the knight replied coyly, as a laugh escaped his relieved features.

"You know, we knights aren't here to beat you down. You'll be one of us one day. You'll see, once you get a pin on yer' collar, yer' patron will be treating you like her favorite daughter, and not one on house arrest," Lorden offered up these words more seriously, but still with a more than persistent smile gracing his obliging lips.

"Do you usually get beaten up like this, or is it an anomaly? Aren't knights supposed to not get beaten up like this?," the girl asked, as her hand fell away from his own.

Lorden raised an eyebrow, and smiled open-mouthed, in a feign of embarrassment.

"Well...," his words blended into another small chuckle, before he continued.

"That's what they tell the newcomers isn't it? Ye', we can hold our own in a fight, and we're like a swarm of ants if you shake up the nest, or hurt the city in even a small way. There are thousands of us after all, numbers make strength and all that," he attempted to explain.

The knight leaned back in the water.

"But Miss Asen, tell me. Have you ever fought a knight in earnest? I'm sure you've spared with yer' patron. Could be though, that, that apparently scary lady, has ye' holding high expectations. Remember what I said, we expect you to be a knight one day. The best of us, are only really like you at yer' best, if ye' catch my drift," Lorden continued, a wink all but implied in his words.

The man didn't want to dissuade any thoughts of the Order being strong, but to make the young woman think they were invincible was just wrong, and false-advertising at best. Besides, maybe it would inspire her, knowing that the knights were just people, and she could really be one; petch if he knew.
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[Sacred Arch Hotsprings] To Warm the Blood

Postby Asen on March 7th, 2015, 2:10 am



Oh, thank Siku. He doesn't know 'er. Asen breathed a sigh of relief. They were in the same boat, gossiping about her patron when neither of them wanted their words to reach her. To be honest, the squire didn't really know much about her patron aside from what she looked like and her name.

As the knight talked, the half-Dhani inspected the fingernails of one hand. Since he didn't know Ehati, she could relax. He didn't seem to be too strict about titles and all that shyke, thank Siku. He was certainly nice enough, but she was still a bit nervous knowing that he was a knight and she was just a squire. Was she supposed to be respectful and watch him while he talked? He didn't mind before, and his introduction was more or less casual.

"Mm. No, I can't say I've fought a knight 'in earnest,' as you say," she told him. Her fingers made air quotes and she allowed a small smile to grace her face.

Haven't even sparred with my patron yet. I need to get on that. Asen scratched her jawline, pursing her lips.

"I guess so. Eh, maybe she's not as scary as I thought. D'you have a squire, Ladis?" she asked, neglecting to include his title. It wasn't in her nature to include titles, just surnames. If he wasn't a knight she'd call him Lorden, but she wasn't sure how comfortable he was with being on a first-name basis with a squire.

The half-Dhani took a moment to wet her hair again, closing her eyes, holding her breath and ducking beneath the surface of the warm water. When she came back up she released the breath, inhaling the steam.

I dunno. I mean, bein' a squire's great an' all, but I kinda don't feel like I'm cut out for it... Da would be disappointed if I quit, though. I guess I'll stay and see.


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[Sacred Arch Hotsprings] To Warm the Blood

Postby Lorden Ladis on March 7th, 2015, 4:57 am

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82nd of Winter, 514 AV

Lorden watched as Asen mocked his use, of a rather large word. His right brow raised jovially.

Alright, maybe I deserved that. I can take a joke, the knight thought with a smile of his own.

Patiently, the knight watched as the woman toyed around with her jaw, presumably thinking up some point of conversation.

"I guess so. Eh, maybe she's not as scary as I thought. D'you have a squire, Ladis?," the woman asked, driving a surprised look from the man she was talking to.

A squire? Right..., the man thought. It wasn't that he was bad with kids, teens, or whatever a Squire happened to be; it was just that he didn't see himself, as being seasoned carry out the training of another through and through, not effectively at least.

The knight smiled through his doubting musings.

"A Squire? I'm afraid I've never been asked to take one on, an' I've never been too overly interested myself," the knight bent his reasoning a bit, as he spoke with a lighthearted visage and an attempt at a self-convincing tone.

Lorden took a swallow to give him a moment to think.

"It's not that I don't like you guys, or anything, I don't mind sparring around with ye' and helping you about," the knight trailed off a bit.

"Say Mrs. Ses-sas...," Lorden stumbled over the woman's name with a self-berating role of the eyes.

"My apologies. I'm afraid I was right earlier," he said with a small laugh.

"Regardless, I was Just going to ask, if you ever went down to the Grounds, or even the Pit?," Lorden asked casually, hoping his intentions were clear.

It couldn't be that horrible of a thing, to spend a bit more time with the Squire, maybe help her with her training a bit; she seemed likable enough.

Lorden always felt in need of friends, no matter how many he had; which at the moment, wasn't too many. Perhaps, this might be a chance to start solving that dilemma, at least in the knight's mind.
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[Sacred Arch Hotsprings] To Warm the Blood

Postby Asen on March 7th, 2015, 11:11 pm



The knight's answer was somewhat surprising. Asen had figured that all knights were required to take on a squire. Then again, he was pretty young -- but only for a human. He could be older than her, for all she knew.

"Sessaschenaasen. You can just say Asen, if y'need to. I've been down to the Grounds before, to answer your question. Last time was around the seventieth. Before that was when I got my jaw broken. You wouldn't happen to know Aventis, would ya? Really tall, not exactly pretty but not ugly either?" she asked, motioning with her hands.

The image of Aventis appeared in her mind. She'd left out his extra arms for his sake. If he was comfortable about displaying the lower set of appendages in public she'd inform the knight of them, but she knew of his discomfort.

The half-Dhani decided that she still owed him for breaking her jaw. Breaking an arm would probably be good enough to repay him. She turned her blue-eyed gaze back to her superior. "Is it alright if I just call you Lorden?"

She certainly hoped the handsome young man would allow it. "How old are you, anyways? You look pretty young to be a knight, for a human. Are you a human?"


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