|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2017 1:27 pm
“Home is in Sauti, in Kesris,” Xilarn agreed without pause. Though it was only one border away, he wouldn’t have ever gone so far as to call it ‘close.’ The settlement of Kesris was banked on nearly all sides by the cliffs that kept it cut off from Matori. Walking there from anywhere could take weeks, and walking there from where they were now, in Yera, would be far longer. Too long for Xil to be comfortable with his choices, if he didn’t go now. He thrummed his fingers lightly against the span of sheets between them. “If you’d like to get out a map, I’ll show you, otherwise you should know that it’s upwards of three hundred miles by flight, and longer on foot. If you do get bored or restless, there wouldn’t be an easy path for you to follow after me.”
This was still the most convenient place to part ways for the time being. The dangers of Jauhar were behind them. Yera was the largest settlement Tale or Sauti had to offer, with everything Damissan would need to keep himself comfortable while on his own. It was also hundreds of miles away from any other Tale town, so there weren’t exactly options to choose from.
“It was my intention to leave today,” he admitted. “I’ve been ignoring my son for the better part of two months, and it will be a much-needed relief to know where he is, what he’s doing, and that he is being cared for while I’m with you. If he isn’t…”
Well, that didn’t need dwelling on right at this instant, particularly since he didn’t know what he would do. Nothing good, surely. Nothing he needed to worry Damissan over.
Xilarn shook his head. “It’s a long trip. If it were closer, I would wait until we made it there together, but it could be months before we make it that far, and I’d rather not wait that long. I’ll leave my traveling gear with you and set out with Gadot. He can make it in a handful of days without any extra weight and with the right motivation.” But did he really need to set out today, immediately?
That had been the plan. His attention flicked up to the window and he groaned softly. As much as Xilarn appreciated the cooler temperatures rain would bring, the winds and turbulence of a storm would not do him any favors. It was only raining now, but if it turned any worse, it could be as dangerous as inconvenient. And there wasn’t a reason to leave if not ‘early,’ so that he could make full use of the daylight. With a petered sigh, he settled back to the sheets, and folded one arm behind his head. “I’ll wait until tomorrow.”
“In the meantime…” He looped an arm up, snaking around Damis’ shoulders and yanking him eye-to-eye with Xil. “Given my track record, I would think you’d know better than to threaten me. What would you do, if I left you alone for too long?”
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2017 6:12 pm
I’ll wait until tomorrow.
Damissan blinked, and then beamed.
Perhaps, given the gravity of the circumstances, it oughtn’t have felt so immediately like a boon. But Xilarn had said it and made his choice without it being asked for, so surely there was no guilt in taking it for what it was. Besides, it was only one more day in the spectrum of several months, and Damissan was hard pressed to believe that anything that might have gone wrong in that period had not already gone so and whatever Xilarn was bound to find when he got where he was going was likely to be approximately the same regardless of the difference of one cycle of the sun.
When Xilarn’s arm hooked around him and pulled, Damis moved with the tug—and then smirked, humming as he shifted to notch a leg over, one knee to either side of the man’s hips in a loose straddle. “Oh, I don’t know. Nothing too drastic, surely…start a village riot or two—accidentally, of course, and with the best intentions. Anger a wild herd of angry plains beasts, discover a new new god, be kidnapped by local, cannibalistic and…” He walked two fingers up the side of Xilarn’s chest, “…oddly sexual and brazen women.”
Tipping his head, he grinned.
“I don’t know if you like surprises, but I do. I might have to come up with something new entirely. That aside…” His expression and tone eased, fingers curling to trace his knuckles along the upper curve of the man’s chest. “While some of it must be well founded, surely you don’t need to be quite so concerned as you are. Being raised by you, I’m sure your boy is much better at handling himself than I was—” He hesitated only half a moment, “—am. And regardless, you’ll have your answers soon. Until then…”
He leaned forward, dipping to touch his lips lightly to Xilarn’s. “There is no reason not to relax for the day and enjoy yourself before tomorrow. What do you like to do for fun?” Shifting, he traced his lips down to the man’s ear and then grinned against it before nipping lightly. “Besides complain about people, that is…”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
