[Krom] - Danger, run from danger

[Elyna]

It was growing to be a familiar tension, the threads that started winding down her spine and took root in her chest whenever Malcolm approached. She couldn't help but sit up a little straighter as he took up his post beside her. Her gaze more definitely fixed on the view ahead. He was as tired as the rest of them, but he seemed to bear his exhaustion well. She knew, that at some point her eyes would start to itch and feel weary, but for the time being she still felt uneasy. It wasn't helped by the Captains close proximity. Elyna sat perfectly still and took a while to realize that she was holding her breath. She was acutely aware of his shoulder pressed against her own and the warmth that seemed to emanate from his skin.She let it go slowly and sank back down against the tree, wrinkling her nose as it pressed against healing scratches on her back.

Her scowl deepened when he asked his questions, her head was throbbing and he didn't seem to know if he wanted her to answer the question. Then he suggested that she gave up her watch before finally suggesting that he simply keep her company. She swallowed and finally managed to reply, "it's just a scratch," she dragged her shirt sleeve over the trail of diluted blood she could feel running down her neck, "stings like a bastard though," she admitted. it was rare for her to curse but the words felt right. She shifted her weight toward her right, away from him and to ease the nagging pain over her ribs. The scratch was an annoyance more than anything.

Her gaze dropped to the needle covered floor, "how is Simon?" He was in a lot of pain, that much was clear. All his groans and the occasional shout had dragged at her senses like salt in an open wound. She hadn't answered his question and she felt ashamed of herself. She would never have been so...aggravated with another officer. She knew that her words before the crossing had been over the line and that he had sought her out. She ran her fingertips down the bridge of her nose and looked across at him. Softening.

"You don't have to..." she told him quietly. He was performing his duties as Captain with a severity and competence she had come to expect and his group loved him. "You look like you could use the rest yourself, I'm not sleeping any time soon. I could cover your watch if you need some rest? Ser," she tagged the title to the end, realizing that again she spoke to familiarly. It was a hopeless effort though and she sighed, scanning the tree line, "I didn't join your assignment to give you someone else to worry about. It's just a scratch. You don't need to worry about me."

[Malcolm]

Malcolm found it almost impossible to read Elyna, frustratingly so. Again he fell quiet and gave her time to consider and reply to his words before he offered his response in turn. "Nonsense," he told the noble woman, "you're injured, a head wound no less," he found himself looking at her shirt again and the blood that lingered there, still wet if he wasn't mistaken. "And whatever this is," Malcolm pitched her shirt without touching the flesh below.

Just a scratch, she had told him but scratches didn't continue to bleed all day. Malcolm was done trying to be polite with this girl, what she needed was a cold hard dose of reality. The man breathed in through his nose, ready to speak his mind, when it stuck him... A little scratch was nothing and he still owned her and explanation for the incident in the alleyway. "Elyna," the man said carefully, taking the woman's hand in his and lacing their fingers so that she could not escape his hold too quickly.

Malcolm closed his eyes and tipped his head back slowly to rest it against the tree at his back. He knew using his divine abilities was linked to his immortality and the shortening of such a thing, but just a scratch wouldn't do him any harm. His skin was warm, a lot warmer than a normal being, almost feverish, and yet pleasant. It didn't take long for the exchange to take place and within moments, he had taken on all of her injuries, cuts, scrapes, bruises, and aches, leaving her completely free of pain for what must have been the first time in a very long time.
When the deed was done, Malcolm sucked in a shaky breath as the pain sunk in, settling not only upon the flesh but within his bones it sometimes seemed. He leaned forwards, his hair falling about his face like a dark curtain, only for him to release the woman's hand to push the thick, black strands back into place. His vision blurred and he felt his nose burn as it often did upon threatening to bleed, and the white of his eyes would take on a faint red tint, nothing as serious as when he had passed on his death wound to the redhead man in the alleyway.
The left side of his head stung, almost blinding so, the pain of the woman's injuries ten fold when taken by the man, but it was the cut on his side that really bothered him, how had she acquired that? Malcolm lifted his shirt and was surprised when he was met with the sight of mottled flesh coloured yellow, purple, blue, and black with bruises, but his attention drifted higher still, to his ribs where the searing pain of his newest wound made him close his teeth together tightly, had it been dealt by arrow or sword? The captain found it difficult to guess.
He was angry with her for hiding it all from him, though he probably had no right to be after taking it all on without her permission. Part of him was saddened by the thought of her courage and power of will, to deal with such things and still keep up with the rest of them. He supposed then that he owed her an explanation. "You came to my house after the incident to return my things... I almost told you then... Told you what no one else knows," other than Vanessa and his sons, he did realise and knew she would too, "I'm different, Elyna," he swallowed the lump in his throat, "my father is an Immortal..."

[Elyna]

Elyna had wanted to pull away the moment he took hold of her hand, but he held it firmly and his expression didn’t allow for argument. His hand was hot and for the smallest moment she simply felt comforted by the heat. It was then that she felt soft warm waves of pleasure wash over her, she stared at him, wide eyed and mouth falling open as suddenly she felt the pain she carried lifting and retreating, as though they had never been. She couldn’t understand what type of magic this was and it frightened her, more so when Malcolm sagged, visibly absorbing all of the ill-treatment her own body had come under.

She gasped, suddenly furious that he would take on the burdens that weren’t his to carry, it was what she’d had only just said to him. Why would he injure himself to spare her aches? All of them, stupid bruises and scrapes from the training yard, or the last few days. Her head felt clearer than it had in weeks and she blinked at him, feeling the rage growing and twisting with anxiety. As soon as he released her hand she was on up on one knee, pressing closer to him, her hands moving without permission to his head where the scratch she’d suffered from the arrow bled. She hissed in sympathy for his pain, because it had been her own all day. If he’d taken on everything, she watched him inspect the longer wound that curved around his rib cage and flinched, “what have you done?” she searched his eyes frantically. She had been living with the continual dull ache of pain for so long, that suddenly free of it, she felt as though she could fly, without a Jacadon. But to feel it all at once, suddenly?

Elyna twisted, and pulled her pack closer, collecting the bandage she’d planned to use on her own wound and blinked before leaning in pressing the clean cloth to the cut. It was shallow but it had still stung, it was in an awkward place as well that had kept pulling whenever she moved or changed positon. The hands that pressed the cloth against his skin were gentle and her hair fell, brushing against his shirt as she focused on the task at hand. She’d meant to wrap the wound, she’d just been waiting.

She heard what he said and she sank back on her heels, staring at him blankly. How could that be so? She opened her mouth to deny it but remained quiet. She’d seen in the alley, the wound opening on the other mans’ neck, the mirror to Malcolms own injury. And he shouldn’t have lived, Malcolm should have died. They both knew that. Her eyes held his and she thought back, piecing together what she knew. Something about memory, an ability to remove them? Taking on wounds or giving them? Vanessa…she had noticed, of course that the woman was very much older than her husband, but she’d never questioned…

Elyna sucked in a breath and bit back the instinct to try and deny what he had said, even with the evidence he had demonstrated. Why was he telling her? Why had he done…why had he taken her injuries, “you’re a fool,” she breathed out eventually, “you shouldn’t have done that…”

His father was an Immortal? Her mind raced with questions, who? How was this possible, why didn’t he tell the others – well, she could answer some of the questions herself. She reached out and pressed her fingertips lightly against the skin of his neck and let out another slow, uneven breath. She wasn’t even sure why she was touching him, but it felt like the right thing to do. And now he knew her secret as well. He knew exactly how many times she’d missed a block and received a hit over the past few weeks. He had delved into the darker parts of her soul with his selfless act and she didn't know if she wanted to hit him or thank him.

[Malcolm]

A fool, he thought, perhaps, not because he had stripped her of pain, but something much worse, he had let her too close, allowed her to become too familiar with him, and continued to find excuses to be closer to her. Maybe a small part of him had done some of these things on purpose, but he still seemed, or rather felt, completely oblivious to any returned affection, in fact Malcolm was almost convinced that the Skyrider couldn't stand him, which was why what he did next would forever remain completely inexcusable.
Having glanced over Elyna's right shoulder to find the rest of the camp still, silent or sleeping, Malcolm fixed his gaze on Elyna's endless, dark eyes and found his hands set upon her, shoulders or face and back of the neck, something he wouldn't recall later, and before it was too late to change his mind, the captain leaned in and kissed her, firm and slow until it felt like all the blood had drained from his fingertips and toes, leaving him hyper-aware and altogether numb to any action made in return by the young woman.

[Elyna]

What was happening, what was happening?! Her mind had departed completely and left her locked in place as Malcolm lent in. Her nose brushed against his cheek and she felt his breath against her lips before the kiss fell. Like a moth to a flame, she was drawn to his warmth and curled her fingers in his fresher shirt, shocked by her own reluctance for him to pull away. Her mind still raced, scrambling for any thought, but panicking, her heart thudded in her chest too hard as though the bandits were back.

Elyna returned his kiss, hesitant and it was then that all the thoughts came flooding back. First, the sensation of acute pleasure and a wave of desire so strong that it hurt. It was the first thoughts that caused the second wave to follow, extinguishing hot desire with icy-fear. No sooner than her response was given, than she pulled back, scrambling to her feet. Her gaze flicked back to the group, no one had seen. She looked back at Malcolm and opened her mouth to speak. What could she say?

The Skyrider turned on her heel and fled, as was her habit to do. She was due on watch anyway. They both knew that.

[Rumour]

Rumour's Review

Elyna

Skills

Skills:

• Observation: 5
• Endurance: 3
• Etiquette: 2
• Mount: 2
• Socialization: 1
• Wilderness Survival: 1
• Planning: 1
• Rhetoric: 1
• Animal Husbandry: 1
• Medicine: 1

Knowledge

Basic Knowledge:

• Location: Zor River

Specialized Knowledge:

• Mount: How to repair a broken bridal
• Wilderness Survival: How to stoke a fire
• Zor River: River crossing worsens in Ashan when snow melts
• Malcolm: Looks even better without clothes
• Malcolm: Father is an Immortal
• Malcolm: Able to remove wounds from others and take them on himself
• Malcolm: Able to transfer wounds from himself to others
• Malcolm: Excellent kisser

Loot & Consequences

Thanks to Malcolm’s use of his divine abilities, you are completely free of all injuries (including cuts, scratches, bruises, and aches)!

Comments

Girl! What are you doing, running away from the world's sweetest kiss? In all seriousness, this thread was such a pleasure to read. It was such a pleasure seeing Elyna and Malcolm interact (love them), and I enjoyed reading all the juicy "behind the scenes" details going on in Elyna's thoughts. She's got herself into quite the situation. Overall, this thread was a lot of fun and I look forward to reading the next part of their story!

Malcolm

Skills

Skills:

• Observation: 5
• Leadership: 4
• Mount: 4
• Planning: 2
• Endurance: 2
• Tactics: 2
• Etiquette: 2
• Medicine: 2
• Intimidation: 1
• Swimming: 1
• Shield Combat: 1
• Melee Combat: 1
• Persuasion: 1
• Investigation: 1
• Seduction: 1

Knowledge

Basic Knowledge:

• Location: Zor River

Specialized Knowledge:

• Mount: Shorten reigns for a light canter
• Zor River: River crossing worsens in Ashan when snow melts
• Mount: Halt horse by pulling on reigns
• Etiquette: Avoid public nudity with ladies present
• Swimming: Improves smell, appearance, and mood
• Kathryn: Panics at the sight of blood
• Medicine: How to cauterize a wound with a dagger
• Leadership: Good leaders are decisive
• Leadership: Good leaders don’t avoid tasks beneath their station
• Elyna: Resilient
• Elyna: Hides bruises and pain

Loot & Consequences

Congratulations! You now have:

• Bloodshot eyes (1 trial)
• Scratch on the left side of your head
• Bruising on ribs
• Long cut on ribs

Because you used your mortalborn ability “Pain: Burning Touch,” the pain you feel is intensified and the wounds you absorbed will take twice as long to heal. If they are not cared for properly, they will likely result in an infection.

Your lifespan has shortened in accordance with the use of your mark. Length of the shortened lifespan is your choice.

Note: Since you already have a number of threads following this one, the length of time your injuries last will also be your choice.

Comments

Wow! Giving away the farm with that last secret, eh? That was a major plot twist, and I loved it. This thread was such a pleasure to read. The tension between Malcolm and Elyna is palpable, and it's made all the more interesting by their mutually stoic personalities. I'd also like to add that you do a great job of showing how Malcolm carefully leads his team and considers the impact of his actions. Overall, this thread was a lot of fun and I look forward to reading the next part of their story!

If you feel I've missed any skills or knowledge, or if you have any questions about your review, please don't hesitate to send me a quick PM. Thank you!

xoxo