Desert Roses

[Claude Faustus]

"No I'm not angry...it's just that..." Eladrian glanced away for a second. "Amal makes me a little nervous...He's clearly attracted to you and that conserns me."

((Sorry my posts are short))  

[lack_luster_soul]

((I understand why 3nodding ))

Ialu glanced back to Eladrian and a smile found his lips, "Are you kidding?" He laughed, "Maybe, but he's also very attracted to you. That's why I told him yes... If he were showing more attention to either of us, then I'd be concerned... He wants us both." He finished with the braids, his soft hair hanging down his shoulders. He ran his fingers through it, sighing. Nice and soft again. He turned back to Eladrian, suddenly pulling the elf into a deep kiss.  

[Claude Faustus]

Eladrian responded to the kiss feeling his mind begin to wander away from the current problem.

Maya lowered her head to nibbled at the green grass at the edge of the pool. The sun was just hovering at the edge of the sand dunes tot eh west, casting a soft light thought the clouds and across the sky. The sparse clouds veiled the nearly full moon.
The creature pricked her hears towards the small group of horses who where settling to sleep, they where almost afraid of her, she knew. Her own dam had rejected her when she was born. Horses and unicorns normally do not mix and successful hybrids where almost always hand reared.  

[lack_luster_soul]

Ialu knew better than to let Eladrian get too lost in the kiss. He pulled back, his eyes warm, "If you feel uncomfortable, we can still tell him no... I know this is a lot for you, Eladrian, but can't you see it?" Ialu dipped his hair in the water, smoothing it more in soft dripping tendrils. He then stood, "You're suffocating... You're spending your whole life waiting, and you're wasting away because of it. I understand you don't want to lose Maya, I know that your knighthood is important to you... But what if she never picks the perfect mate? What if you waste your whole life waiting?" He knelt again, "She's your friend. She may be half unicorn, but she's also half horse. She won't reject you. And you can't live your life expecting her to." He kissed Eladrian's forehead, "We won't take your purity away. But you need to start living before you forget the way it makes you feel..."

Soft nickered seemed to almost appear at Maya's side. Sadiki stood there, a few feet away, studying Maya. His dark brown eyes seemed to know, and he glanced past her to the group of horses. He stepped closer, his nose lightly bumping her shoulder, beginning to playfully lip at her mane. He kept his head down, humble, as if asking permission to be so close to her. He knew he should be afraid of her, but Sadiki rarely found himself afraid of something different. Maya was more than different, she was stronger and more graceful than any horse Sadiki had seen. Somehow he knew that if they foaled, their colts would be strong, beautiful. He felt instinct drove him to her. And he wasn't going to back away because she was different.  

[Claude Faustus]

Eladrian sighed, "Perhaps I am a bit impatient, But if you have lived a life with everyone expecting you to fail, then I'm sure that you too would do anything to hurry up and do your best." He said a little bitterly. "Maya was my only chance, my chance to become more then just a common solider." She's more then a just my mount, she's my friend, I don't want to force if she's not ready."

Maya raised her head from the thick green grass in the dessert, the wind picked up brushing thorough her milky mane. The desert wind spoke to her blood. Her dam had been a gift, a purebred Arabian given to the HighLord from the Great Emperor of the south. but the rulers played an intricately subtle game of insults thickly veiled by courtly politeness.
The Arabian mare had been given to a lower ranked family on orders to breed her into their own stock of Numarian horses, to gain their grace and fine lines.
The family that bred her where accomplished horse and hybrid breeders, valuing their foals. Maya's dam was the first Arabian horse in the north and the first to be bred to a unicorn.
Maya raised her nose and sniffed the cooling wind, She wanted to move. her instinct where telling her to move, but the grass the lovely green grass was there to be eaten. Tossing her head She picked her way to the pool and lowed herself into the shallow water, wriggling her silver body in the churned up mud.  

[lack_luster_soul]

Ialu let out a soft sigh, watching Eladrian's eyes. His heart hurt for the elf. He took his hand, "I understand... The life you want to live, your friendship with her... I don't think you should force her, of course, but-..." He glanced in Maya's direction, "Perhaps you aren't giving her enough credit. As much as she is unicorn, she is also a horse. It took her a little while, but she accepts my presence, even with all of my impurities. You've known her for years. Do you really think she would abandon you? A unicorn might, but she's not a purebred..." He stood up, "We'll play it safe. But think on it... Do you want me to call the bath off?"

A bit broken-hearted, Sadiki trailed after Maya, snuffing lightly at her flank. He shook his head lightly, brushing long, soft tresses of his black mane out of his eyes. Perhaps he was too unrefined for her. She was, indeed, very powerful, he knew. She wasn't a horse like him. But he was attracted to her all the same.  

[Claude Faustus]

Eladrian looked up, "Oh no. please stay. " he reached up to pull the youth down to him. whispering in his ear "If she really chooses Sadiki, then I will not stand in her way, he's a fine stallion who's already proven himsefl."

Maya got up from her mudbath, shaking her coat, splatting mud everywhere.
"Gahh!!" Amal tried to jump out of the way as the wet mud hit him. luckily however he was unclothed and was headed to the pool to join the other two.
Amal wiped his face. "Tha was very unlady-like, what are you trying to do?"
Maya snorted and shook her coat again, with the mud on her she looked like a normal horse.
"Ahh I see.....well, your wrong young lady. Your beautiful as you are, if that stallion won't accept you as you then he's an idiot. Now stop this silliness and wash that mud off, you look horrible!" With that, Amall resumed walking to the pool behind the low shrubs.

Eladrian glance up as the older man came into view. Amal's mud splattered body was well formed and muscular surpassing his own strength, his green eyes noted with surprise several scars on his bronzed skin, most knights now-a-days didn't carry scars, they healed them as soon as they could.
Amal's amused smile made him aware that he was starring and the silver haired elf flushed and turned away. "What happened to you?"
"Oh it's nothing..." Amal slipped into the water, his grin growing wider as Eladrian slowly inched away from him. "I'm not going to bite, despite how I look like I'm not an animal." He laughed, washing the mud off.  

[lack_luster_soul]

Ialu smiled a little bit and pulled back to look into Eladrian's eyes. But Eladrian's eyes were elsewhere. The southerner turned, his eyes catching sight of Amal. He swallowed hard. The other elf was beautiful. Seeing beautiful men like this in Ialu's career had been rare. Men either didn't care about their looks, or they cared too much. All beautiful men he had seen always tried too hard. But Amal was natural, wonderful. His eyes traced down the curve of muscle and bone, the sheen on his skin, the grace of his walk. He watched Amal slide into the bath and smiled.
Wanting to join as quickly as possible, Ialu straightened up and unlaced his linen pants, shrugging them off. He shed the last of his clothes and stepped slowly into the water, lukewarm but cool enough to feel wonderful in contrast to the desert sun. He sat opposite the two elves, watching them.

Sadiki had lost her again. He snorted to himself and bent his neck to graze at the grasses, all but given up hope on courting her more tonight. The setting sun made his deep red coat seem to burn with light.  

[Claude Faustus]

Hearing Amal laugh, Eladrian turned back to glare at him ."Does my naivety amuse you?"
The older man put his glasses on a overhanging branch. "No, but your shyness does, it's adorable." The older said, dipping his shoulder and head under to wet himself, he came up wiping his face. "Younger ones always take themselves so seriously."
El huffed and sank up to his nose into the clear water. With green watching his elder he commented. " You don't look no older then the high lord."
"A unfortunate case of genetics, I reattain this appearance becuase of my bloodlines. I'm actually much older then you think? Care to make a guess my dear boy?" Amal purred.
Sputtering, Eladrian sat up. "You cannot be much older then 89 seasons. the Highlord is in his late 70s."
"I am older then he is, I'm afraid, 322 by my last count."
"Impossable!"
"I'm pure-blood, those with more 'fae' blood are longer lived and retain their youthful appearance longer then those who have more human blood in their families."
Eladrain was supprised and awed. "Then...you must have been there, the battle of the four celestial planes when the our Queen...."
"Yes I was there, " Amal leaned back a against a rock."Our beloved White Lady, the last Queen of the Elves..." he sighed, looking up at the twilight sky, the sun was just disappearing below the horizon casting the dessert sky with a deep velvet blue hue, stars twinkled brightly.

"Yes, I have seen many years Eladrian, many battles. many missions, and long journeys." Amal then cast his strange silver gaze to Ialu. "I have seen a few half-bloods during my sojourns into forgin lands, but none who travel willingly with one of our kind."



((Ok, I'm getting tired of writing out my character's full name all the time, I'm gonna call him El sometimes.))  

[lack_luster_soul]

((I'll probably do the same))

Ialu listened, honestly fascinated. But most of it was still over his head. 322 seasons sounded ridiculously old. He had no clue what they meant by seasons. In the desert, there were two seasons, the 'rainy' season in which they received what little rain they got and the plant life flourished, and then there was the dry season. His kind counted age by the passing of both seasons, so at the beginning of the rainy season, each Egyptian counted another year past. Did the elves only have two seasons as well? He pushed it out of his mind for the time being, trying to listen to what they were talking about.

Suddenly, Amal had turned to him and was asking about him. Ialu blinked, concern settling over his face. He then glanced to Eladrian, thinking maybe Amal was getting them confused. He then looked back to Amal, "Um, I'm sorry... I don't think you understand... I'm a normal human."  

[Claude Faustus]

"no...you are not. " Amal moved closer to the Ex-slave his hand reaching up to trail his wet fingers along Ialu's brow line and along his cheek," Too smooth, your features are too perfect to be completely human." Amal ran his fingers down Ialu's jawline. "....your brow line tends to taper, your nose is delicate, as well as your chin.." he ran one hand over his ears pushing back the dark hair to expose them, they where round, but the tips of the top seem just slightly unfolded. as if they where pressed open. this seemed to confirm it for Amal. "Half-blood." he nodded and pulled back. "There are many half-bloods back in our country, they are good soldiers, good men. but they are not part of the nobility, it's rare that Half-bloods are born outside our borders. Tell me Ialu, what do you know of your parents?"  

[lack_luster_soul]

Ialu felt his heart begin to pound as the noble elf moved close to him, touching his face and ears. Shivering, he tried to take in the elf's words and comprehend it all. He was one of them? A half-blood? Was it his mother? No, no, it had to have been.... She had always said that Ialu's father 'went home', which was a popular euphemism for death in Egypt.

Ialu spoke softly, blush heating his cheeks, "I-... My mother was Nubian. Her skin was as dark as onyx and her hair thick and black. I didn't know my father. He must have been, um... one of you... She always said that my father 'went home'. I didn't really think anything about it, it's something we normally say when someone dies..." Ialu ran a hand through his hair then began to chuckle softly, "I always thought my mother was lying. She said my skin was as white as milk when I was born." He gazed down at his reflection in the water, looking at his brow-line, his nose, his chin. Maybe his father was alive. Maybe he had a past after all, "My mother is dead. I don't know anything about my father."  

[Claude Faustus]

"Then your father might still be alive," Amal said his hand tilting Ialu's chin up so that he could look into the ex-slave's lovely face. "In our race, sons and father tend to look alike. but it would be difficult to find your father, I know of only a few of those who have returned from the southern continent and all of them have your beautiful blue eyes."

Eladrian listened with mixed emotions, he was happy for Ialu at the information, perhaps he can convince him to go with him back to his country to find his family. But, that would mean that Ialu would be the illegitimate child of some tactless Nobel. what if that man didn't want to acknowledge Ialu as his child?
Ialu was not only half elf, but his human half was that of a Southern people. People that where at war with the elven race.
Most Eldren, as well as the people in his country viewed anyone from the south as savage barbarians and illegitimate children where frowned upon by noble society.

El snapped out of his musing when Amal had moved slightly, the older man had moved closer to Ialu, still cupping the youth's flushed face with his hand.
Feeling that sharp pang of jealousy, Eladrian quickly spoke up, interrupting them. "Do you know any of their names? The knights who came before me I mean."
Amal blinked and sighed pulling away from his intended prey, "i will have to think on it, it's been too long since I've had to remember."
"Names within the past.....20 years should do Amal." El said, covering up his relief by wetting his hair and finger combing it to get out the tangles.  

[lack_luster_soul]

Ialu was fighting not to lean into Amal's touch. It had been so long when someone had truly looked at him like this, like a prize, like someone beautiful and important. It made the half-blood flush. As close as Amal was now, he couldn't see much but the older elf. He gently leaned his cheek into the elf's hand, listening to them.

He didn't really know what to think about them discussing his father. He was somewhat excited to know that he had family in the world. But at the same time, he didn't know if he'd ever be able to forgive his father. He whispered, somewhat irked, "Is that a common thing, for elves to come South, father illegitimate children, and then abandon them?"  

[Claude Faustus]

Amal frowned and shook his head "As I said it's rare. Eldren don't couple with southerners because of the animosity between the countries. I don't' know what your story is, but it must have been a very good reason why your father coupled with your mother then left....or he could have been a crass b*****d himsefl."
El huffed. "I seriously doubt that, only an up-standing knight would have been sent south on the behalf of the High-Lord." He was still finger-combing his long silver hair.
" An upstanding knight such as your self?" Amal let the sarcastic remark hang in the air. As he expected, the younger man flushed with indignation. Eladrian really was adorable, perfectly delectable when he was annoyed, the young man's writhing green glare was a turn on. Oh he wondered what kind of man this young one would mature into, he had the possibility of dominating the men's bathhouses if he so wished.
Amal smirked, "You,couldn't keep your hands to yourself either." He indicated the halfblood beside him. "..he is proof that you were not the first to succumb to the temptation of the flesh."
"Shut up!"
"Are you still even a virgin?" Amal was breathing harder now, his muscled chest heaving as the silver haired youth's anger blazed brighter. He wanted Eladrian to rise up and strike him, to show his strength, yes it would be beautiful, his wrath. "...with such a handsome youth traveling with you, I would have taken every opportunity to take him into my bed."
El clenched his teeth, restraining the growl that threatened. "He is no longer a slave, he chooses who he beds."
Amal licked his lips, relishing this display. His mirror like eyes reflected nothing but lust. "then you are not-"
"I didn't say I wasn't pure!" El shouted, he was vaguely aware that underneath his anger, he was starting to become affected by Amal's body language. The older man practically radiated a sexual charisma that was quickly becoming distracting.