Morning Glory [oneXone]

[Sweet Devil Prince]

xbut how do I get there?
xxxxwhat road do we choose?

xxxxFendrel didn't know what to say to her at all, and after a moment gave up on trying to think of something to say. The silence was better. In the silence all they had to communicate were smiles and actions, two things he longed for as he sat there, holding her, with his head resting on her's. If he had spoken he probably would have said something stupid, or made the silence awkward, which it wasn't. The silence was comfortable, especially when he spotted her smile. It took a moment, but eventually she had convinced him to lay back with her. As they lay on the bed, he kept her in his arms with a weak smile. For awhile they laid there, enjoying each others company in the silence, until Rhiandra knocked. In truth, if he had laid still in the quiet any longer he would've fallen asleep. His eyes had already been drifting. Sitting up slowly as Rhiandra said that everything was packed, Fendrel answered, "We'll be there in just a moment." His voice sounded a little hoarse from the silence, but he quickly cleared his throat and looked over to Treasa, waiting for her.

when the season's so high for losing

[Neme-Goddess-of-Death]

Treasa Ó Scolaidhe
☽◎☾

Birds and butterflies,
Rivers and mountains she creates,
But you'll never know,
The next move she'll make

The White Witch
══════════════════════════════════════════════
You can try, But it is useless to ask why,
Cannot control her, She goes her own way,
She rules until the end of time, She gives and she takes

Rhiandra nodded as Fendrel and Treasa both sat up. In truth, Treasa had actually started to nod off a bit as well, but she was right back to when the door had opened. She didn't say anything, Fendrel had gotten to it first. Instead, she leaned in and kissed him softly, pulling away after a moment, still smiling. "Thank you..." She knew why she was thanking him, but she wondered for a moment if he understood why. She wasn't about to ruin it and explain it to him though, she just slid herself off the bed, looking to the window as she shook her skirts out to make them sit right. It was already dusk. That was probably for the better. She already thought the sooner they got to Leofwin the better.

With every breath, And all the choices that we make,
We are only passing through on her way, I find my strength,
Believing that their souls live on, Until the end of time, I'll carry them with me

[Sweet Devil Prince]

xbut how do I get there?
xxxxwhat road do we choose?

xxxxAs Rhiandra left, Fendrel waited patiently for Treasa, wondering if she would need any help off of the bed. He knew she still wasn't doing the greatest physically, but she was still better than last night. He was surprised when she suddenly kissed him, but accepted it graciously. He wasn't sure why she had thanked him. Was it because he had answered Rhiandra? Or because he hadn't pressed himself on her when he could have? Or even because he had laid down with her on the bed? He wasn't sure, but didn't want to have to make her explain. Getting up slowly from the bed, Fendrel stetched for a moment before extending his hand out to Treasa, ready for her to take his hand. "Ready?" He asked with a weak smile, thinking about what their journey will be like.

when the season's so high for losing

[Neme-Goddess-of-Death]

Treasa Ó Scolaidhe
☽◎☾

Birds and butterflies,
Rivers and mountains she creates,
But you'll never know,
The next move she'll make

The White Witch
══════════════════════════════════════════════
You can try, But it is useless to ask why,
Cannot control her, She goes her own way,
She rules until the end of time, She gives and she takes

When he held his hand out to her, Treasa just reached out and took it with a smile and a nod. They left the room, and while she was able to walk alright, she stayed pretty close to Fendrel, even while holding his hand. They met Rhiandra and the others outside. Ayria and Rhiandra were waiting by the cart she presumed she was supposed to be riding on, and Baylen and Nathaniel were already on their own horses, Nathaniel holding the reigns of a spare that was set aside for Fendrel to ride. It took her a bit of help, but she climbed up onto the cart with Rhiandra, who was set to be the driver, and Ayria climbed into the back, where she was left enough room to sit comfortably. Both Nathaniel and Narcissa's guard were ready to move, and once Treasa was settled into her spot with a final kiss to Fendrel's cheek, they set out once Fendrel was on the horse set aside for him. They were out of the city just after dark and were soon on the long road to L'liath Crossing.

With every breath, And all the choices that we make,
We are only passing through on her way, I find my strength,
Believing that their souls live on, Until the end of time, I'll carry them with me

[Sweet Devil Prince]

xbut how do I get there?
xxxxwhat road do we choose?

xxxxFendrel smiled as she took his hand, lacing his fingers between hers as they left the room. Everyone seemed to be outside, waiting for them. Looking at the cart, he noticed that Rhiandra was driving and that Ayria was in the back. Helping her onto the cart, Treasa took her place next to Rhiandra and gave him a kiss on the cheek. This journey was going to be long, but at least he didn't have to worry about carrying her the entire way. Once she was settled, Fen went over to the horse that Nathaniel was holding for him. It was great that he wouldn't have to walk to Leofwin, but there was only one problem; he had never ridden a horse before. He had never had reason to. He had never left Le'Mont before, nor could he afford to. He looked around at everyone else on their horses, trying to figure out how to even get on the horse.

xxxxPutting left foot in the stirrup, he tried to pull the rest of himself on without success. In fact, as he brought up his right leg to swing over, he hadn't quite swung high enough, and ended up losing balance and falling backwards. With a hard thud he landed on his back, with the wind knocked out of him, and for a second he laid on the dirt ground catching his breath. He got up slowly, not even bothering to brush off the dirt as he said breathlessly, "I'm okay!" Putting his left foot in the stirrup again, he brought his right leg higher and managed to land this time. Adjusting himself, Fendrel took the reigns from Nathaniel slowly, not sure what to do now. Watching Nathaniel, he followed the same motions and was able to set out with the others to L'liath Crossing.

when the season's so high for losing

[Neme-Goddess-of-Death]

Treasa Ó Scolaidhe
☽◎☾

Birds and butterflies,
Rivers and mountains she creates,
But you'll never know,
The next move she'll make

The White Witch
══════════════════════════════════════════════
You can try, But it is useless to ask why,
Cannot control her, She goes her own way,
She rules until the end of time, She gives and she takes

Treasa covered her face with her hand, him not knowing how to ride wasn't something she'd considered. Rhiandra tried very hard not to laugh when she watched Fendrel fall. She managed to stay silent, though, for most of the night. It wasn't until the moon was up pretty high in the sky that she finally burst inside and looked over to Treasa with a cheeky grin.

"You sure know how to pick them." Was all she said, and Treasa gave her a look without a single word that made her shut up. They'd been riding for a good few hours now, and Strayer was long out of sight. It was mostly silent, save for a few of the guardsmen chatting here and there and Baylen and Nathaniel having their own conversation. Ayria had already found a way to fall asleep in the back of the cart, and now Treasa was leaned back with her hair pulled over her shoulder, idly adding thin braids to it. It was another hour, almost midnight, until they finally stopped at an inn. Treasa didn't even know there were inns out along the road to L'liath Crossing. She knew there was one at the crossing, but not on the way to. Her only conclusion was that it must have been recently built.

Rhiandra hopped down off the cart once it stopped, prodding Ayria with a bony finger to wake her up on her way around the cart, where she started helping Treasa down. Treasa's eyes hadn't left Fendrel then entire night. She felt like if she lost sight of him all hell would break loose, a theory she wasn't ready to test. Or maybe she was watching to see if he randomly fell off the horse once he was on it. That was certainly why Rhiandra had been watching him. Pretty soon though, Treasa was coming over to his horse and petting it along its neck, looking up at Fendrel with a smile. "Don't fall."

With every breath, And all the choices that we make,
We are only passing through on her way, I find my strength,
Believing that their souls live on, Until the end of time, I'll carry them with me

[Sweet Devil Prince]

xbut how do I get there?
xxxxwhat road do we choose?

xxxxFendrel's face was beet red, whether because he was embarrassed or because he had hit the ground so hard he wasn't sure. Possibly both. Fortunately he had many hours to travel, and the blush went away eventually. He could feel eyes on him, and it bothered him to no end. He wondered if they were waiting for him to fall again or if they were making sure he was riding properly. Either way, he'd probably fall again eventually. He was surprised he had managed to stay on this long. The rest of the trip he remained silent, falling into thoughts of the future. They would be in Leofwin within the next two weeks, and he began to wonder what would happen from there. Treasa would start showing soon, and knowing himself he would make her rest a lot. Would they still have a handfasting? Now that he thought about it, he realized that was the least of his troubles. He was devoted to her regardless, so what difference did it make? She was still having his child, and they were still together, despite how rough it was at the moment because he felt distant from her. Like the night before had put her a million miles away, and no matter how much he swore he'd stay next to her, he never truly was.

xxxxHopefully this journey would do more than just put them farther away from Strayer; maybe it could restore some of the things that they used to have, bringing them close once more. It wasn't till Fendrel had this thought that he looked ahead and saw an inn. This was good news, for after all the hours of riding his a** was getting sore. Although, he considered that the horse would probably appreciate the rest more than him. Once they came to a stop, Fendrel sat still and watched the others dismount their horses. They made it look so easy. Fendrel was surprised when Treasa suddenly spoke, and when he looked down saw that she was petting his horse's neck. When she said not to fall, he cracked a smile and teased, "I'll try." Lifting his right foot out of the stirrup, he stood somewhat to get off the horse, bringing his foot to the ground. He smiled as he stood, but maybe had rejoiced a little too soon. Unfortunately for him, his left foot was stuck in the stirrup, and as he moved to walk away nearly fell, almost bringing the horse down with him. Fen caught himself though, keeping the horse standing as he removed his foot gently. He didn't say anything though, teasing or otherwise. His face was red once more, and he looked rather flustered.

when the season's so high for losing

[Neme-Goddess-of-Death]

Treasa Ó Scolaidhe
☽◎☾

Birds and butterflies,
Rivers and mountains she creates,
But you'll never know,
The next move she'll make

The White Witch
══════════════════════════════════════════════
You can try, But it is useless to ask why,
Cannot control her, She goes her own way,
She rules until the end of time, She gives and she takes

Treasa was quick to step out of the way when Fendrel started to stumble off the horse. The last thing they needed was for the horse to fall on both of them. Fendrel caught himself, though, and he looked thoroughly embarrassed, but she only came back over and leaned onto the tips of her toes to kiss his cheek. "Let's get inside." She said as Rhiandra went walking by, carrying some things. "Definitely know how to pick them." She repeated herself as she went by, and Treasa just stuck her foot out, tripping her, then took Fendrel's hand and started her way inside with him.

With every breath, And all the choices that we make,
We are only passing through on her way, I find my strength,
Believing that their souls live on, Until the end of time, I'll carry them with me

[Sweet Devil Prince]

xbut how do I get there?
xxxxwhat road do we choose?

xxxxFendrel only felt a little better as Treasa kissed his cheek. He could tell that Rhiandra was making fun of him, even if he hadn't heard what she said. As they walked inside he decided that he was going to practice riding, and would soon become a natural at it to avoid embarrassment. And so he did. In the next week they had traveled they had reached L'liath Crossing, gone on Shaezilri Road and were now ascending up the mountains through Eaglecrest Pass. Each dawn they had found a new inn, resting and setting for travel before the sun could dip out of the sky. That was the one thing he looked forward to each day, resting in the inn with Treasa, holding hands with small conversation, or sometimes silence. Either way her touch felt much more comforting than the horse's. Whenever he wasn't riding or spending time with Treasa, he would train with the sword, one of the skills he knew he could be good at, but never had the time before to pursue. He had become rather handy with the sword, sparring with Nathaniel on a few occasions, and had even learned how to ride the damn horse without falling off. Over time he had become more comfortable riding, and had even given his horse a name; Halle, which means rock, because the thing was damn well sturdy enough to be one.

xxxxThe further into the mountains they traveled, the colder it became. Fendrel was not used to the cold, having lived in the south his entire life, but quickly adjusted. Very often he would check in with either Rhiandra or Treasa herself to make sure that she wasn't too cold, always offering her his cloak to keep her warm. There were more people in Eaglecrest than he had expected, and there were at least two inns in the mountains, one of which they were stopping at now. Fendrel's hands had become numb from the cold, and as they stopped he rubbed them together to keep them warm. He could hardly believe it when someone had told them that it was a rather nice day. Apparently, Eaglecrest could become much colder than it was now, but he still couldn't believe it. As he waited for everyone else to dismount their horses and enter the inn, he overheard some gossip.

xxxx"Did y' hear about the crusade? First the Blue Woods, now Le'Mont!" The woman attempted a whisper, but her voice was so dry and cracked it came out more like a soft yell. The younger woman shook her head, seemingly interested in the gossip, and asked, "Do you know what they are looking for?" The older woman shook her head this time, and replied, "Not sure. Whatev'r it is tho', they mean bus'ness. Three houses hav' been burnt down already."

xxxxFendrel was no longer listening to their gossip. He was terrified. Rearing Halle around, Fen rode over to the cart and dismount his horse with ease. His face had paled as his heart pounded in his chest, but still he extended a hand to Treasa to help her out of the cart. He almost didn't know what to say. He was afraid that if he tried to say something, he would swallow his own tongue or choke on his words. All he could think about was their house in the woods, probably burnt down, and his parents. His father was strong, even with his old age, but his mother... she was bed ridden. He had almost no hope that she had made it out alive. All he wanted was to go inside the inn with Treasa and talk about the situation, and to have her comfort him and his dreadful thoughts.

when the season's so high for losing

[Neme-Goddess-of-Death]

Treasa Ó Scolaidhe
☽◎☾

Birds and butterflies,
Rivers and mountains she creates,
But you'll never know,
The next move she'll make

The White Witch
══════════════════════════════════════════════
You can try, But it is useless to ask why,
Cannot control her, She goes her own way,
She rules until the end of time, She gives and she takes

Over the next week, Treasa's bruises had faded and her voice returned to normal. Everyday she watched as Fendrel sparred with Nathaniel, and every day she watched him slowly start to not fall from Halle. The weather started to set in, the further into the mountains they got, the colder it got. Narcissa was the only one that remained dressed as if it were actually summer. Everyone else ended up in cloaks. Treasa had been through the mountains before, but it had never been at the start of the summer like this, summer was always in full swing.

Her belly had actually started to swell at this point, though it was only a little, it was still obvious when she would walk or sit down, though only barely due to the loose fit nature of her gown. She was dreading making it toward the end of the pregnancy. If she was already starting to show, Gods only knew how big she was going to get. She didn't like the idea of having her belly in the way, which she was certain it would be. She could hear the two women gossiping from where she was on the cart, and she knew her ears were right when she saw the look on Fendrel's face as he came to help her down.

She just reached out and took his hand, then slid down off the cart, giving him a look that seemed to say her thoughts were right where his were. She was certain that if they'd taken The Blue Wood, then the house she'd been born and raised in was gone, and she was certain that one of the houses burned in Le'Mont had been his parents', though she tried not to voice it. If Alastair was going to that much trouble to look for them... No, it wouldn't be Alastair, Gwendolyn was the Queen, and Treasa knew it, no doubt Gwendolyn was looking for the amulet she still had yet to find. Treasa's eyes drifted up toward the sky, it was another few days until the new moon, she was sure of it, but the clouds were too thick, you could hardly see anything in the sky. Quietly, she made her way inside with Fendrel, going to sit near one of the fires that were lit.

With every breath, And all the choices that we make,
We are only passing through on her way, I find my strength,
Believing that their souls live on, Until the end of time, I'll carry them with me

[Sweet Devil Prince]

xbut how do I get there?
xxxxwhat road do we choose?

xxxxFendrel helped Treasa out of the cart silently, his face grave and pale. He didn't want to put too much thought into it. There was a serious chance that his parents were fine, and that his house hadn't even been burnt down. It was rather unlikely, but there was still a chance. As he helped her down, his eyes locked onto her stomach, seeing the same bump he had seen a couple of days before. She was starting to show, and he had been meaning to say something to her about how cute it made her look, but now was especially not the time. Maybe later, if he was feeling better. But now, he remained silent, and as Treasa's feet touched the ground, he glanced at her face to see that she had heard the gossips as well.

xxxxAs Treasa led him inside, he began to wish that he had killed Alastair when they had still been in Strayer. He should have. And because everyone had told him not to, houses had been burnt down and people were most likely dead. Because he had been denied his revenge, people were suffering. He wondered if their plan had been to lure them out by putting everything they had cared about in harm's way, or if they suspected they were in hiding and were trying to find them. Either way, Fendrel felt the desire to jump back onto Halle and ride all the way back to Strayer to kill the king once and for all, whether it was his doing or his wife's. They both deserved to burn. This was all he could think as he sat next to Treasa, staring at the fire before them. "Do you think... ?" he had started softly, then cut himself off. He wanted to know if she thought his parents were dead, or if they had even been in danger. The thought worried him to no end. Pulling his gaze from the fire, he looked at her with a crest fallen face as he said so softly she might not hear him, "Our house... my parents... you... he's trying to take everything away from me." He wasn't sure if that was really Alastair's intent, or Gwendolyn's, but it sure seemed that way.

when the season's so high for losing

[Neme-Goddess-of-Death]

Treasa Ó Scolaidhe
☽◎☾

Birds and butterflies,
Rivers and mountains she creates,
But you'll never know,
The next move she'll make

The White Witch
══════════════════════════════════════════════
You can try, But it is useless to ask why,
Cannot control her, She goes her own way,
She rules until the end of time, She gives and she takes

Treasa unclasped the cloak from around her shoulders and left it to lay across the back of her chair, then reached out and took his hand, putting her other hand on her stomach. "It's because of the amulet... She's still looking for it..." She said as they were brought food and horns of beer. She knew well and good, that if his name had been found out for him to have been arrested, then it was more than easy to find his parents, especially with Gwendolyn being a Merridan. "Your father's strong... I'm sure they're fine..." It was a little obvious that she didn't believe herself, but at least she tried. Her hand moved from her stomach and picked up the beer, and she got a drink before trading it out for a chunk of bread. She didn't know what else to say to him... so she got a bite from her chunk of bread and rested her head on his shoulder as she watched Nathaniel and Narcissa sit down together at another table.

With every breath, And all the choices that we make,
We are only passing through on her way, I find my strength,
Believing that their souls live on, Until the end of time, I'll carry them with me

[Sweet Devil Prince]

xbut how do I get there?
xxxxwhat road do we choose?

xxxxFendrel said nothing as Treasa took his hand. He wished the gesture was more comforting, he truly did, but all he felt was misery and anger. His anger did not lessen when Treasa told him that Gwendolyn's motives were the amulet. People were dying over an amulet? If not for Treasa's touch, he would have flipped over a table by now. Gwendolyn and her stupid childish antics, just trying to get an amulet, and her rapist of a husband were going to set him off. So far he hadn't lost his temper too badly. The only thing he's done on this trip was yell when he was angry. His father knew damn well what a temper he had, and how he would break and smash things when upset. Even Treasa had not seen him angry enough to break things, although he had come close with the highwaymen. Fen didn't want Treasa to see that side of him, and as he glanced down at her belly, he realized he didn't want to see that side of him either. Hopefully he could keep everything in check and not snap anytime soon.

xxxxFendrel still said nothing as Treasa told him that his parents were fine. That was a lie, and she knew it just as well as he did. They were most likely dead, and if they weren't, they were miserable. They were old, sick, homeless, and possibly even burned. Neither of them had been strong enough to do the chores at home that he had taken fully responsibility of, what made her think they could escape a fire? His hope was running thin, but as she rested her head on his shoulders he said softly, "God I hope so." Fendrel wasn't hungry, not in the least bit. His stomach felt knotted and twisted as he thought of their house burning down, along with his parent's house. Taking a long drink of beer, he finally asked quietly, "What does the amulet do?" She probably didn't know, otherwise she would have told him already. Now that he was thinking of the amulet, he realized that the new moon would be soon. The moon had been full when they had reached Strayer, and now that they were close to Leofwin the cycle was nearly halfway done. The new moon would be any day now.

when the season's so high for losing

[Neme-Goddess-of-Death]

Treasa Ó Scolaidhe
☽◎☾

Birds and butterflies,
Rivers and mountains she creates,
But you'll never know,
The next move she'll make

The White Witch
══════════════════════════════════════════════
You can try, But it is useless to ask why,
Cannot control her, She goes her own way,
She rules until the end of time, She gives and she takes

Treasa just stayed the way she was, nibbling at her bread. If it weren't for the fact that Ayria was watching her like a hawk, Treasa probably wouldn't have eaten either. Her heart sank just as deep as Fendrel's at the thought of the loss of her own home, and now she was glad that Baylen had gone and gotten a lot of her things. "I don't know... But I'm going to find out." She replied. She had a thought and picked her head up off his shoulder, looking around for Baylen. She didn't see him. Where was he? When she thought about it, she hadn't seen him with the group for a few days now.

With every breath, And all the choices that we make,
We are only passing through on her way, I find my strength,
Believing that their souls live on, Until the end of time, I'll carry them with me

[Sweet Devil Prince]

xbut how do I get there?
xxxxwhat road do we choose?

xxxxFendrel said nothing as Treasa said that she would find out what the amulet did. He wondered why Gwendolyn wanted that amulet so bad, and better yet why Maudaine stole it from her in the first place. He thought that Treasa would be more excited about reading what her mother wrote in the book. But then again, he wouldn't be very excited either after hearing that your house was burnt to the ground. He noticed that Treasa had lifted her head and started looking around. That was when he realized that Baylen was no where to be found. Not sure whether or not that was who she was looking for, but decided to ask, "Have you seen Baylen?" Looking around, Fen turned around to check behind him. No Baylen.

when the season's so high for losing