Private Tales The Mountains Ahead

[Kasim Areth]

He nodded his head. "Take the torch."

Kasim said as he motioned his hand over towards the fireplace in the corner of the room. There was a stack of wood beside it, though oddly enough it was not petrified or even old. It was clear that someone had been here within the last few weeks, and had probably replenished the pile.

"I'll start a fire for us." At least they would be warm. "And lock the doors once you're inside again."

It was an easy enough task.

He half wished there were some glow-lamps inside the building, but most of those had been destroyed or stopped functioning long ago.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

"I'll be back shortly then." She replied, walking back to the torch and plucking it from its holder.

Though she wouldn't voice her concerns, she wasn't entirely sold on the idea of wandering through the inky darkness alone. But, the quicker that she finished, the sooner she'd be inside and laying down next to a warm fire. Her stride was elongated, almost to the point of a light jog, as she went back out to the animals.

While she was outside, she took them into the stable and pulled off their saddles. It took her a few minutes to find the feeding and water troughs; but once she did she left the beasts with the supplies they would need for a night's rest.

She grabbed the satchel, the bed rolls, and the pillows that she stole from the werewolf village before she made her way back inside. It was a little awkward to carry the torch and all the gear, but she was able to tuck almost everything beneath her left hand. One of the pillows she had to carry with her teeth, but she refused to leave it behind.

When she made her way back into the room, she dropped most of the equipment onto the stone floor and then moved to put the torch up on the wall.

 

[Kasim Areth]

By the time Aviana returned Kasim had started a fire.

The room was well sit, illuminating the careful lines of the architecture and the perfectly curved furniture that had been carved into it. There was a very clear air of nobility within the small room, beautiful mosaic's and carefully placed pieces of art that depicted times in dwarven history.

"I'll go lock those doors." The Jester said as he slipped out behind Aviana and wandered back towards the main room. There was a loud noise of stone hitting stone followed by a click as he locked the main door. A moment later Kasim reappeared in the doorway.

"There." He told Aviana. "A trebuchet would be hard pressed breaking through that door."

That wasn't exaggeration either, the dwarves had built these little outposts to last. "Welcome to my dwarven home away from home."

He crossed the room to her with a smile, stopping just short.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

She had been standing by one of the mosaics, lightly tracing her fingers over the design when Kasim returned to the room. He closed the space between them with only a few strides and she quickly pulled her hand back from the wall, smiling sheepishly as if she'd been caught doing something wrong.

It was oddly comforting to be in a place with a refined design, for a chance, instead of roughing it out in the woods. She just hoped that some horrid monster didn't try to slaughter them in their sleep this time.

"It's quite charming." She mused, brushing a few strands of hair out of her eyes. "Very uh..." She glanced around at the carved stones. "Industrious."

Her eyes landed on the still bound bedrolls, and she exhaled softly. With Kasim standing so close to her, she was keenly reminded of the 'incident' in the stream. She was grateful for the warm light of the fire that helped to hide the blush that painted her cheeks.

 

[Kasim Areth]

He smiled for a second. It was a good way of describing the dwarves. A thousand years ago they alone controlled the great forges of the world, creating weapons and armor that still mystified the world to this day.

There was a reason Kasim was so confident about the safety of this place. "Needs a womans touch, really."

The Jester commented quietly, his smile broadening just a bit. He glanced over towards the bed, wishing that it had a feather mattres or something of the sort. Their bed rolls were comfortable enough, but compared to the Inn they still wouldn't be in the lap of luxury.

At least it was warm, and there would be no monsters here.

He was sure of that.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

Slowly, her eyes shifted back up to meet Kasim's and she smiled a little. His remark had seemed almost like an invitation or a suggestion, but she didn't want to make any assumptions. Their relationship was odd enough as it was, and she didn't want to accidentally make it more complicated than it already was.

Her palms rubbed slightly together and she took a deep breath. "You're right. Could really use some linens and drapery." She remarked with a playful grin.

One hand gestured to the bedrolls and she slipped past him. "I can start with getting these set up, hmm?"

Her fingers deftly unfastened the buckles on the bedrolls, and she stood up to unfurl the first one then laid it down over the slab of rock that spent its days pretending to be a bed.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim couldn't tell the future.

There were supposedly some mages that could, men and women who had the gift of foretelling. He had never met any of them, but many of the stories he told mentioned them in passing. At times he wished that he had the gift, though in truth he already knew his end.

Perhaps that was why he was so able to embrace life, why so often he simply ventured where the wind blew him. Kasim was unbound from anxiety or fear. He knew what he would eventually come to, what would bring him to deaths door and eventually kick him through it.

So without much hesitation as Aviana came up from unrolling their makeshift mattress, Kasim stepped behind her.

His arms gently enveloped her, hands gingerly sliding over her midriff.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

As Kasim enveloped her in his arms, Aviana's breath caught in her throat and she went still -- the bedroll clutched in her grasp. There was no mistaking such an embrace as an accident. How was he always so sure of himself, she wondered. She carefully turned her head to look over her shoulder at him, the slightest hint of a smile at the corner of her lips.

She wasn't quite sure what to do with her hands, so she simply kept a hold on the bedroll for the time being.

Afraid of hurting him, she didn't move against him or twist about; but a delighted shiver did race up her spine as he felt his hands brush against her stomach.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Life was about joy, whatever you could steal from it. The bard who had taught Kasim his profession had said that, told it to him over and over again.

The man had been insane, or at least many had thought so, but Kasim had always thought him wiser than most. His childhood had been strict, controlled, everything planned and plotted. Even his first lover had been chosen for him by his parents. Everything calculated, everything in it's place.

He'd rejected that.

He had made his own decisions, just like this was his own decision. How it would end he couldn't say, wouldn't say. His end was already written, but every page in between was still empty.

Slowly Kasim leaned down, trailing his lips against Aviana's neck as his hands slipped beneath the hem of her tunic.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

Her hands dropped slightly, the bottom end of the bedroll bunching against the floor as she relaxed in his arms. She tilted her head to the side, granting Kasim more access to the curve of her neck as his lips brushed against her soft flesh. She'd forgotten to breathe.

The heavy silence hung over the room, the only sound was that of the crackling fire behind them; although Aviana was positive that Kasim would be able to hear her heart pounding in her chest. His fingers tickled across the flesh of her belly, and she took a sharp breath at the familiarity of the touch.

It was a little silly to be so shy all the sudden. The first time he'd kissed her, they had been naked in a stream. But in the water there had been other stimuli in the environment to detract from the privacy of it. Here, hidden away beneath the mountain in their own personal fortress, with only a fire to break the silence of the world around them; she couldn't help but tremble at the intimacy of the moment.

Kasim had already opened the door to her own individuality for her, he'd presented her future in such a way that made it her own. There was no one here to tell her what she was doing was wrong. That she was supposed to "save herself for her future husband". Or to demand who would "want" her if she wasn't "whole". None of that mattered anymore. With Kasim it wasn't about what everyone else wanted, or what was expected of them.

It was simply about the moment.

Taking a shaking breath, and slowly exhaling through her nose; she finally found her words. "You're so warm..." She murmured sedately, her voice low and relaxed.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim smiled slightly. It seemed a funny thing to say, but then Aviana had very likely never been this close to any one person for this long. "Am I?"

The Jester mused out loud.

"I think I could do better." He commented wryly, his fingers slowly beginning to pull at the fabric of her tunic. There was really no subtlety to what he was doing, but everything was slow. The pace of it was such that Aviana could stop him at any time if she wished.

His lips never let her skin, pressing gently against her neck as he stripped her.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

She'd had her clothes removed by other people plenty of times in her life. It had been a part of her every day back on Minaris, but this was entirely different. Goosebumps rose on her flesh where ever his fingers brushed against her skin as he lifted the tunic from her slender frame.

The bedroll was dropped to the floor, utterly forgotten as she raised her arms over her head for him.

As the fabric was pulled over her head, she lowered her arms back down, shyly clasping her hands together and holding them against her chest; covering herself out of pure instinct. She shivered as the cool air met her bare skin, but Kasim's warmth was quick to chase it away.

"Do better?" She whispered softly, closing her eyes as his lips continued to explore across her neck. It was almost as he'd cast a spell over her.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim didn't answer her.

His lips pressed against the curve of her skin once more, but this time they slowly trailed towards the back of her neck. His fingers slowly slid over her midriff, dancing over her skin as his thumbs caught the hem of her pants.

Kasim's touch was electric, and he could feel the heat coming off of Aviana's flushed skin. A smile formed on his lips as he lingered for a second, and then slowly he bent lower. His lips pressed against her spine, and then again, and again as he began lead them down her spine.

As he did so he lowered himself, his hands on her hip slowly pulling the last of her clothing away.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

Kasim's lips against her skin sent small tremors through her, and caused the butterflies in her stomach to frantically flutter about. Her eyes closed and she took a deep breath, slowly exhaling through her nose as she tilted her head back.

Everything she'd ever done with Kasim had always been something new, something she'd never experienced before, and this was no different.

She remembered the feel of his fingers on her lips, silencing her, just the night before as he vowed to protect her from the beasts at the door. A quiet sigh slipped from her as he peeled her clothes away from her body, kissing his way down her spine to keep her calm.

She trusted him, implicitly. A dangerous realization, but one that was there nevertheless. If he said they were safe here, she believed him. For now, there was no monster to fear, no beasts trying to tear them limb from limb. All she had to worry about was that electric spark that leapt through her body every time his lips brushed against her flesh.

She could allow herself this moment, wherever it might lead. The night was theirs.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim woke the next morning, his arms wrapped tightly around Aviana, a single blanket draped over the both of them, laying together on a single bedroll.

His gaze shifted around the dark room. The fire had died sometime while they had slept, and the torch presumably not long after. His vision was accustomed to the night, though there was nothing really to see within the room. Content, Kasim turned his attention to Aviana.

A smile touched his face as his lips pressed against the back of her neck.

They were in no hurry really. Where they were was safe, and the Deep Roads could wait as long as they wanted. The only thing constricting them was food, something that his belly wanted.

A low growl sounded from his stomach, but for a few more seconds at least he ignored it. Instead he allowed his hands to float over Aviana's skin, a gentle massaging touch.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

Aviana's eyes fluttered open as she felt Kasim's lips brush against the back of her neck in a gentle kiss. Her brow furrowed slightly when her vision was filled with darkness. The fire must have gone out, she realized.

She twisted slightly, glancing over her shoulder even though she couldn't see the jester behind her. The movement enough to let him know that she'd woken up.

One of her hands reached over her, trailing her fingers through his hair and then down across his jaw.

He was warm, blissfully so, and a reassuring pressence in the dark room.

"Want me to get the fire?" She asked softly, her voice a low whisper.

 

[Kasim Areth]

It took Kasim a moment to consider her question. Lips thinning. ”Sure.”

They could at least have breakfast and enjoy a few moment of peace and comfort before they headed back out into the deep roads. The fire would help with that, give them a small bit of comfort before they wandered through the depths.

”But.” He seemed amuse. ”You'll have to crawl your way back.”

Kasims tone was filled with amusement.

For now they could afford to be less serious, for now. In the coming hours that would change, the deep roads would ebb away his mirth and replace it with constant paranoia. It had to, otherwise they'd never make it to the other side.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

She laughed at his caveat to her tending to the fire, twisting around in his arms so that she was facing him. Her hands lightly came to rest against his chest. Unable to properly see him, she brushed the tip of her nose against his, which allowed her to find his mouth; so that she could press a delicate kiss to his lips.

"And why exactly would I need to crawl back, Mr. Areth?" She purred teasingly.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Really the answer to that was as simple as could be. ”Because I want to see it.”

The Jester had been upfront this entire time, and he would continue to be. There was no reason to be coy, to shy around the facts. Not after last night, not by a long mile.

His lips brushed against hers after he spoke, his gaze slowly drifting through the dark to peer at her form. The thin blanket clung to her, and even with the dark surrounding them she was more than stunning.

His fingers slowly slid down her side, brushing her skin.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

"Oh, well, I guess that's that then. Isn't it?" She mused back to him, snuggling into his warm chest and kissing her way down along the curve of his neck.

If she was honest, she didn't particularly want to move at the moment. Snuggled against the jester, and relaxed for the first time in weeks, she didn't want it to end. But alas, his stomach rumbled and she knew that the moment would have to come to an end at some point.

Taking a deep breath, she reluctantly slipped out from underneath his arms. The cool, underground air causing goosebumps to raise up on her arms. She shivered a little once she was away from their shared warmth underneath the thin blanket. Kasim likely could have gotten the fire started quicker than her, but she wanted to do something nice for him. Even if that was something as small as getting the fire going in the morning.

After a few quick strikes on the flint that had been left by the fireplace, she got the kindling lit and then she was quick to shift that into the fire. She stayed by the fire as it flickered back to life; carefully feeding it fresh logs until she was satisfied that it wasn't going to immediately die out again.

The warm light of the dancing flames bathed the room once more, and she looked over her shoulder to smile at the jester behind her. There was a part of her that wondered what it would be like to wake up next to him every morning... but she didn't want to press her luck with the suggestion. One night would have to be enough, until she knew more about how he felt about the entire situation.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim smiled, watching as Aviana lit the tinder within the fireplace.

The room filled with a bright orange glow almost immediately, the curve and contour of the walls designed to allow even a small spark to light almost the entire place. The dwarves were clever like that, creating things in such a way that they accounted for problems no one else had even considered. It was a shame that so much they'd built over the millennia now lay utterly abandoned.

Still, he supposed that it was a boon for himself and Aviana. Without that fact they would have been nowhere near as comfortable as they had been last night. Nor would they have been able to share this moment together.

Perhaps it was fate. ”Now...”

Kasim mused out loud, watching her.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

She eyed the cold stone floor that separated them, frowning slightly. Crawling all the way back would have been utterly ridiculous, and the half-elf was entirely too prideful for such a thing.

Her finger brushed through her hair, pulling the gentle curls over her shoulder as she stood up and padded over to the bedroll. Once there, she compromised and dropped down to crawl the last few inches over to him over the more comfortable fabric.

With the fire now lit, she could properly see Kasim's features, and she could not help but smile at him. While he knew he was handsome, that only added to his charm in its own way.

"How are you feeling?" She asked softly to him, trailing her fingers over his hair. The question was a layered one, and referred to many topics all at once -- how were his bruises? Did he regret what happened? Was he content with her? Was he hurting at all? Nervous about the journey ahead of them? Bombarding him with so many questions at once seemed a little much, so she simply left the one hanging in the air. He could choose to answer it however he wanted.

 

[Kasim Areth]

There were a thousand ways to answer that particular question, but Kasim took in a slow breath and decided to focus on just one aspect. ”I'm healing. Good enough for our little journey to continue on.”

For a second he considered, and then quietly added.

”Though I wouldn't mind staying here another night.” His fingers brushed through her hair as he spoke, smiling softly. They shouldn't of course. There were too many things pressing in on them. The wolves, whatever Aviana had senses with her necklace, and of course the Deep Roads of themselves. Add to that their limited supplies and…

Waiting longer was not a good idea.

Kasim knew that it would take them a week just to get through the Roads, and that was if they found all of the sign posts they were supposed to. There was no telling what else could happen along the way. Not down here.

That was what made him nervous, too many questions.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

A soft smile spread over her lips as he ran his fingers through her silvery hair, tilting her head into the touch. She took it as a good sign that he kept touching her. If he didn't want anything to do with her at this point, there was no reason for the little caresses on his part. Before he could pull his hand away, she swiftly pressed a quick kiss against the inside of his wrist.

"As much as I'd love to stay... we should probably get a move on at some point, Kas. If we tarry here for too long... something is bound to find us." She whispered sullenly, hating having to be the one to suggest that they keep moving.

"Though... I certainly wouldn't mind stopping further in, if there are any other places like this one." She added with a slight smirk.

 

[Kasim Areth]

"I know." Kasim said quietly.

He knew exactly that there would be a bit of a problem with just staying there, in fact he had the exact thought just a few seconds before she'd said anything at all. A breath filled him for a moment, and then he spoke again.

"Some." The Jester said, though added quickly. "But they aren't as safe as this one...or as whole."

He frowned, knowing she wouldn't quite understand. "Some are around magma flows, others touch sources of magic in the roads, a few are infested with rats."

The Jester shrugged.

"We'll need to be careful." That was all he was trying to say.