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 Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2020 5:16 pm
"I know." Tryston's gaze softened as he lifted a hand to gently stroke Constynce's hair, "Everything will work out." He promised quietly. So much had happened in one evening and he could barely imagine how much turmoil the revelations had created for Constynce. He was also to blame. If he had just come sooner, if he had just ventured into the village that day after the battle...if only he had faced his fears instead of simply waiting and pushing them away. Who knew what would have happened if Lyrie hadn't encouraged him to venture into Tale and find Constynce? Would she have been married to her new arrangement out of Tryston's reach once again because of her duty and ties to another? He thanked the spirits that he had made it in time.
A rare laugh escaped his lips at her comment, "Agreed." He would never want to go through anything like this again. Now that Constynce was in his arms Tryston understood how much he had missed her and how determined he was to never let her go again. He loved her. She was that missing part of his soul that had his heart aching all of these years and now he felt complete. A thought which brought a smile to his lips as he returned Constynce's kiss with a tender one of his own.
"Yes, walk." He repeated with a nod before stealing her hand with his own, "This time I promise to not be completely silent." Tryston stated softly, the tease slipping from his lips before he could stop himself. A slight flush decorated his fine features as he glanced away almost as if sheepishly, "Your Fezig...do you think that he will be fine with the contracts in lieu of the arrangement?" The ice warrior asked as he walked alongside Constynce through the trees that surrounded the village, their long branches arching above them almost like guarding figures. From what he had witnessed it did appear that the leaf man was enamored with another so even Tryston felt that surely he would be overjoyed with the news. It seemed that Constynce was not the only child who had found themselves battling with the elder's arrangements. He felt almost ashamed of the way that he had felt jealous for a moment when he had seen Constynce earlier with the other man. Perhaps if he hadn't returned or if Fezig had been her first intended she could have learned to like him....but that was a theory Tryston never wanted to confirm. Just the thought alone made him squeeze her fingers in his hand reassuringly, "Never mind. He will cope either way."
After another moment of silence he glanced towards Constynce thoughtfully, "It really is beautiful here." He admitted softly though his silver gaze was on the woman at his side and not really focused on the forest around them. It really was hard to not kiss her. The thought brought a hint of warmth against the back of his neck as he looked away once more, "I'm glad to see that your village is doing well." Yes, because it was totally the village that he was currently enamored with...Tryston quickly shoved the thought aside, "The forest seems the same as always." The same forest where he had first kissed her, a rash act that had been a slip of his emotions. The first sign that the normally reserved warrior was changing because of the woman at his side. Now here they were again and Tryston couldn't help but to feel a bit nostalgic. So much had changed since that day so long ago.
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Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2020 7:30 pm
Constynce nodded, but was almost afraid to speak any agreement out loud. Considering how many twists her life had taken, she couldn't help the fear that something was waiting to take this away from her as well. Would she really be allowed to finally keep something so wonderful? She let out a long breath and mentally shook herself. Whatever happened, she would fight tooth and nail to keep this if she had to. It would work out now.
She blinked up at Tryston's tease about himself with surprise before giggling softly. "Good. You have much to catch me up on." The mention of Fezig made her shoulders tense slightly, but she let out another breath and smiled. "Yes, he will cope, but I do not think he will find coping difficult. I'm sure it was obvious to everyone that he.. was rather disinterested in my company. He was kind, of course, but his heart was already claimed by another. ..I knew the feeling." She had been trying to tell herself to get used to Fezig, pointing out everything good about the man. There was plenty to admire, of course... but he wasn't Tryston. There was no comparing, and there was no adjusting; her heart had refused to let go of that last flicker of hope. Now, she was grateful she had held on. "He was always willing to put the villages first, but now he can do so with the right partner at his side."
The mention of the beauty sent her own gaze looking around the forest with a pleased smile. A gentle breeze ruffled the leaves of the tall trees, the thick branches hiding the birds that sang in the distance. Tale was always beautiful to her. "It was difficult for a while there. The dretch stole away many..." She couldn't help squeezing his hand tighter at the reminder. Not knowing where Tryston was, the thought that he had been stolen away as well had haunted her. "Everyone has been working hard to bring it all back to life. The festival is the celebration of having things more normal again." In her mind, there was something just as important to celebrate now; however, she certainly did not want to celebrate it with the whole village and guests! Grinning, she stopped short and pressed herself against Tryston for another hug. This was a good start.
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Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2020 6:25 pm
Tryston nodded. It seemed Fezig was not a bad man. He was just one who had fallen for another before meeting Constynce, a fact which Tryston was thankful for. Though he had to admit that he would think that the man was blind to be disinterested in Constynce's company. To be fair, however, hadn't he done the same to several women that his brothers had tried to steer him towards? The thought made him glance towards Constynce with a small smile. How could he have ever considered anyone else when his heart had already belonged to another? That much he definitely could relate with.
His smile faltered at the mention of the dretch. Memories of the battle sent a tremor through his body, his fingers squeezing Constynce's hand back in turn. He just prayed to the gods that Constynce hadn't encountered any of the dread creatures. It had been the worry which had taken him back to Tale all those years ago just to catch a glimpse of Constynce before being dragged away towards Zena once more. If only I had spoken up back then... Shame filled his gaze at the thought before he focused on the present. What mattered now was that they were together again, "I am thankful to hear that. It is similar in the north. Everyone worked hard after the battle to rebuild and to get the village thriving once more..." His words died on his lips as Constynce hugged him once more and the ice warrior could not help smiling as he tightened his arms around her in turn.
Strange how much he had smiled in one night. It felt like he had smiled more in this moment than he had smiled over the past three years. Now that Lyrie was back as well Tryston worried that he would strain his face muscles from so much smiling. Not that he minded. The two people most important to him were finally back in his life again and he never wanted to loose them again, "Lyrie is alive." He whispered as he held onto Constynce, "He recently returned from the mountains and then promptly booted me outside of Zena." A quiet chuckle left his lips, "I'm thankful that he did because it brought me here. He brought a woman named Aishling with him and she has been a tremendous help." A light flush decorated his cheeks as he slowly added a bit more information for Constynce to ponder, "Our numbers have grown and some of the brothers have brought....lovers and wives with them to settle in the village around the fort. There are plenty of rooms inside the fort as well...."
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Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2020 8:13 pm
Her mind fluttered briefly over her memories of Zena. Villages all around the world had been affected by the dretch invasion, but her main focus had been two villages in Tale, and also on one man in Zena. She could only imagine how the icy land had shared their struggles. How many had been lost...? To think there was a time where she would not have given it much thought outside of general sadness for the loss of life. Now, though, she had been there herself and met some of the people and had lived off that land. There was a personal touch to the thought, and she was grateful to hear they had been rebuilding as well.
More important was who had been found, though! She turned her head up to watch Tryston's face. Lyrie? Tryston had never spoken much on the mentor, but she knew he had been a valued figure in the warrior's life. Her smile softened as she watched him talk. "I am glad to hear he is well, and that he was able to get one of us to stop being silly about ourselves." She had let the fear prevent her from attempting to locate Tryston.. How could she have let them lose so much time? She could see how Tryston had grown, but she had just fallen into the old habits of letting others point out where they'd wanted her to go; following orders like a good girl despite how she felt about them.
Her eyes had started to drift away, but the hint of color on the man's cheeks instantly caught her attention. That was new! She couldn't help reaching up with one hand to gently brush along the warm skin before her eyes widened. Watching for a moment, she sighed and gave his cheek a playful pinch. "Enough with your riddles," she scolded, letting her fingers slip down to pet along his jaw. "Wherever you wish to go, I will go with you." She cocked her head slightly, letting her fingers roam up into Tryston's hair. He was really here... "You just have to let me drag you back here for the springs, at least."
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Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2020 7:10 am
The gentle brush of Constynce's hand against his cheek only deepened his flush, "Are you certain?" He asked softly as he rested his forehead against her own, "I'm technically a free man for now." He admitted slowly, "Lyrie has taken back over for the time being but I do not know if it will last forever." It felt strange that after years of taking responsibility for so many others that Tryston now had been instructed to take care of himself and his heart. But now that he had Constynce in his arms Tryston would not change it for the world. He was just afraid of taking her from her home...but the thought of bringing her back for the springs brought a relieved smile to his lips. Perhaps they could find a way after all.
For now though maybe it was best to enjoy their freedom? Tryston pressed a kiss to Constynce's lips before musing out loud, "I know that Lyrie would love to meet you but he did also enforce that we should enjoy ourselves first." The warrior's lips frowned slightly as he pondered over the words. He was not much of one to really understand how to enjoy himself. He had always been so serious, so focused on training and organizing things that such concepts of just enjoying life been a mystery to him. Studying Constynce thoughtfully, his head tilted as he enjoyed the feeling of her fingers playing with his hair, Tryston had to ask her, "Are there any places that you would like to go before I whisk you away from Tale?" It was a good question. What did they do now after all? He had been so focused on just finding Constynce, on reuniting with her or saying his final goodbyes that he had not truly planned for what they did next. He had always found the brotherhood to be his home, his final place but now it seemed that his future held multiple options.
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Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2020 11:50 am
Brow rising, Constynce gave a sigh and nuzzled her nose to his. "I didn't say we had to go right back to Zena.. but I know that I will go anywhere with you." Was that a silly thing to say? Eh, it was no matter. It was the truth. If Trsyton wanted to travel all the way around the mountains to Matori, she would happily go with him! Once they got to Zena, it would be back to business for him. While she was relieved to hear that he wasn't leading the whole group anymore, she was sure his duties would still be involved and important. If he eventually took back the reigns as well... They would need time to figure out how such a life was going to work out.
It would be worth every minute.
Sighing as their lips parted, she giggled lightly at the description of Lyrie's order. "He sounds about as stubborn as my grandfather," she mused. She knew Ellond's intentions had started out well enough, but she was going to spend quite some time thanking the gods for helping his change of heart in the matter. Her grandmother appeared to be a completely different ball of twine... but Ellond had that covered as well.
Still, her mind followed along the same lines as Tryston's. Their time together had clearly had its moments of joy and love, but it had nearly always been edged by tension and fear from the situations they had been involved in. What would it even be like to spend time together without worrying about what the next day would bring? She let out a sigh and smiled brightly. There was no reason to be afraid of the possibilities this new freedom would bring... "I guess we should take this chance while we have it," she murmured, pressing another kiss tenderly. "Let's leave the planning for tomorrow though. Please?" Her hands were soaking in the textures of Tryston's hair and skin, making her own skin feel warm. Needless to say, she was glad they had opted for the walk rather than the festival~ "Part of me is still trying to convince myself this is a dream... That I'll wake up tomorrow with nothing changed from this morning..."
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Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2020 1:30 pm
"Fair enough." He was still in awe that she was willing to go anywhere with him. What had he done to be so blessed by the spirits with a love such as this? The warrior couldn't help holding Constynce tighter while sending a silent thank you to the skies above. It was already getting much darker, the sparkle of the evening stars and the silvery glow of the moon overhead quietly replacing the last beams of amber sunlight. But Tryston wasn't worried. He would protect Constynce from any dangers that the night could bring. That much he had promised and he planned to never venture far from her side ever again.
"He definitely is. Though Aishling has tempered him and he's become somewhat of a softie." Admitted Tryston with a wry smile, "I doubt he would ever acknowledge such a fact. Still he is my mentor and father so if he insists that we take a bit of a break then I will respect his request." He reached up to touch her cheek, his gaze thoughtful before he nodded at her request, "My apologies. I'll try to avoid planning." It was a habit from being a captain for the past several years. Tryston supposed he would have to try his best to behave since Constynce had asked him. Not that it was decidedly hard when she was standing in front of him like this. He could place tomorrow on hold so that he could just enjoy the moment with her.
"Then don't risk falling asleep alone." He whispered quietly as he cupped her face in his hands, "It's a nice night to study the stars. Would you be willing to stay with me tonight? If you wake up next to me then surely we will know it's not a dream after all." He had set a camp outside of the village boundaries and it was comfortable enough. Tryston's cheeks had darkened slightly with his bold request as he stood quietly waiting on Constynce's response, his patience battling with the desire to sweep her away in his arms.
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Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2020 12:24 pm
Constynce had to giggle. Her grandmother was certainly the one who had needed softening, but neither of the old pair could have been called softies, in her opinion. While her grandfather's actions that evening might have been seen as soft, she knew how much it had taken for him to allow himself to change his mind on a village pact for the sake of his grandchild's happiness. "It is a reasonable enough request," she stated, smirking lightly. To think that taking time for themselves had to come from an order!
Tilting her head against his hands, Constynce felt her own cheeks heat further. Every fiber of her being told her not to let him go that night, but to hear the voice she had missed for so long say it out loud... It really was like a dream. "Yes," she replied softly. Her heart sang just as it had all those years ago, despite the passage of time. She knew it had been a long time, but her heart felt just as strongly as before, if not more so! "I love you." The joy of saying it out loud nearly sent the tears flowing again, but now wasn't the time for that. Looking up into those silver eyes, contentment was able to tamper down the rolling emotions within her.
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Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2020 2:25 pm
Tryston chuckled at Constynce's agreement, "I suppose that it is indeed. I will do my best to abide by it." He confessed with a small smile though they both surely knew that such a thing was hard for him. His own men had often teased him plenty about his ability to overwork himself while forgetting that he too had needs to take care of. He would always pour himself into protecting those he cared about and he would continue to do so....while perhaps considering what it was like to relax more for the sake of others as well. Tryston had people who cared about him in his life again and he was grateful for their presence in his life. His heart had never felt so full until this moment.
Tryston felt his gaze burning at Constynce's words, "I love you as well." He repeated as he held his hands against her cheeks, the warmth of her skin seeping through his cool fingers, "I'll never let you go again." He promised as he placed a lingering kiss on her lips. He would not let her go tonight. Even he feared that if he let her go now that it would be a dream and that when morning came he would be alone once more. Tryston was determined to hold onto the one he loved and he would stay by her side as long as she would have him. It was a promise he made, his emotions and desires sincere as he deepened their kiss beneath the stars.
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Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2020 2:50 pm
Okay, maybe just a couple happy tears could leak out... Her arms shifted to hug herself close, pressing up into the kiss just as eagerly. It was the first time in a while that she had felt excitement for the future, but they could work on figuring out those plans later. The joy and the relief and, truthfully, the hunger in her needed the outlet of focusing on the current moment.
Unable to help a playful giggle, she jumped up to wrap her legs around Tryston's waist to insist on being carried to where their night would be spent. She wanted him holding her every step of the way just as much as she wanted to keep clinging against him. The future spread out before them, but it could wait for one more night.
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