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He continued his 'assault' on her head, the comb and his fingers moving over her scalp with almost professional ease. It was almost ironic that his own hair was such a tangled mess. "...It gets so lonely here." he murmurred in a melancholy matter.

He set the comb down gently on the floor, leaving her hair as soft and smooth as fresh-spun silk. He moved his fingers through her hair one final time before his hand descended, the tips of his fingers lightly brushing her back. He leaned forward, holding himself up by placing his hands on her shoulders, and kissed her temple. "Why not?" he asked softly.

Seeming to have been successful in tying up the poor young woman's emotions, Ovaan pulled away, his eyes now a deep, gentle brown. He rocked back on his feet until he was crouching behind her, and turned her towards him with the hands he still had on her shoulders. He looked directly into her eyes with a surprising amount of power, the kind of expression few could say no to, gentle, empathetic, sad. "Why not?" He asked again.

Ovaan shrugged carelessly, his eyes swirling a darker brown. "The choice is yours, I suppose." He didn't sound very convincing. "Leave or stay." He seemed to be half-heartedly trying to convince himself, not really her, as his hand moved for the lantern. Just a quick swing to the head, a speedy spell or two, a nice painful searing to the right shoulder, a quick flight, and he'd never have to worry about her again. She could be someone else's problem.

...But he'd never marked a woman before. Usually men or boys with nothing better to do than help him prove that this forest wasn't safe for outsiders, and the occasional child who had wandered away and gotten lost. They'd be found again, eventually. Usually. If he got to them in time. If they were dropped at the right town, at the right time. Maybe.

He'd never have to worry about her again...

Something, something caused him to give himself away. It was her eyes. Something about her eyes...

He had been looking her straight in the eye, keeping her gaze captive with his won, almost hypnotizing her, but he suddenly broke the connection, glancing down almost in fright at the hand on the lamp at his side, poised and ready to knock her out. Pulling his gaze away broke the spell he'd held on her.

He watched her get up, his jaw locked, his hand frozen on the lantern he'd nearly hit her with. His heart was pounding. It always did when he was about to curse someone. But it was necessary. No one could leave unless they had the mark. No one could enter the forest if they had it, and no one could leave the forest unless they did. Those people foolish enough to come once never came back.

It got pretty lonely.

Ovaan didn't respond. He just got slowly to his feet, looking at the wall over her shoulder, unable to look her in the eyes, those his expression was calm and defiant. He stood, the lantern in his hand, and turned as if to walk away. He quickly pivoted, however, his hand flying back around him. With a practcied grace, he smacked the side of her head a single time with the metal lantern.

He stared emotionlessly down at her unconscious body, pausing a moment to slow down the wild beating of his heart. After a moment, he knelt beside her, rolling her carefully onto her stomach. He slit the back of her dress and pulled it off of her shoulder, busily setting to work. It wouldn't take long for him to perform the spell that would make her dizzy and unattached to reality for a few days. Usually after a time like that, most people forgot what they'd seen in the forest, if they'd seen anything at all. The people who remembered could only remember the sight of his lantern in the darkness...

He brushed her hair out of the way. Her long black hair was silky becuase of the brushing he'd given it. The sight of her bare shoulder, somehow, reminded him of her eyes.

Golden eyes. She had golden eyes...

Ovaan stared at the back of her neck, his palm hovering over the skin of her shoulder, ready to burn his curse into her shoulder and mind. Her moan caused his brow to furrow. He couldn't get the image of her eyes, glittering softly in the dark. Her golden eyes...

He didn't have gold yet...

Ovaan, not used to his victims getting back up a minute after he'd knocked them out, knelt watching her with wide eyes. Her scream startled him, causing him to jump, throwing his hand up in front of his face, allowing her to escape.