The Good And Bad And All In-Between

[Artigas]

Artigas had definitely grown since he had last set foot in Trishana territory, he was now twenty years old and was a great deal taller than he used to be. He was no longer the boy that had fallen in love with the Trishana girl, now he was a man and a proven warrior of his clan. The kill marks on his shoulder had more than doubled since he'd last seen Mariahya and he didn't regret one, each person he'd killed to receive such a mark had needed to die to ensure the safety of his people. The man was clad in the armour of a warrior and he'd swapped the spear that he used to wield for a sword that rested upon his hip.

Much had changed since he'd last visited Mariahya's land, not just with him. Five long years had passed and the clans were now at war. Everyone had believed that the peace would last and it should have, it would have if it hadn't been for the strange people that had fallen from the sky. Skaikru had shattered their peace, they'd slaughtered their people, massacred his village, everything had been ruined by these people. The war had kept him busy, his priority was to his people and protecting them from the many enemies they now had. If they were not at war Artigas would've tried to look for Mari sooner, he'd missed her. Not a day had gone by without the girl entering his mind, he figured that she would no longer be a girl anymore because like him she would've grown and matured and would now be a young woman, a leader of her people.

He could already see that familiar glow that told him that he was entering Trishana territory and cautiously he reached into his armour and took out the scarf that she had once given him with promises that it would keep him safe from her warriors and would one day help him to find her. He didn't reach for his weapon despite his obvious desire to do so, he did not want to appear threatening if he was discovered and if he had a sword in his hand it would look as though he'd ventured there to do someone harm. He emerged into the familiar glowing forest and smiled as he recognised its beauty, it had barely changed since the last time he'd been there. The only difference was that this time he did not see a playful young girl playing among the branches of the glowing trees.

Suddenly a figure dropped down in front of him, having come from one of the trees and before the warrior could react a fist connected with his mouth and sent him staggering backwards. He could taste the blood in his mouth from where his lip had split from the impact and he was vaguely aware of two more Trishana warriors having joined him and his assailant on the ground, quickly he held up a hand to show that he meant them no harm. Clearly Mari had failed in her aim for peace, the war had been too much to try for peace. He didn't dare speak as he saw his assailants eyes flicker to the scarf that he held in his hand. "Where did you get that?" the warrior questioned him and he took a threatening step towards Artigas "Who are you?"

"I am Artigas kom Trikru and I wish to be taken to your leader" he spoke confidently, determined not to show pain as his tongue flicked out to touch the cut on his lip, it was a minor injury and one that he should've expected having entered the territory of a hostile clan. "Our leader is not accepting visitors" one of the Trishana warriors sneered "especially not those from Trikru". Artigas let out a small cry of pain as one of his captors aimed a kick at the back of his leg, his knees buckled and he collapsed to the ground. He heard one of the warriors unsheathe their sword and he couldn't help but wince at the sound, so much for his safety being ensured by the scarf, he couldn't help but feel disappointed that he'd fallen at the last leg of his journey and he hoped that Mari would not think that he'd abandoned her after failing to reach her.

"Wait... The scarf" his assailant suddenly stopped the Trishana warrior that was about to end his life. Artigas tried to listen into their conversation as the warriors started to talk in hushed tones, but he couldn't make out what they were saying. Just when he was starting to lose patience, a voice spoke up "We'll take him with us, if she does not know him and the scarf is stolen, we'll kill him" the voice was that of his assailant and suddenly he was hoisted roughly to his feet and a bag was placed over his head. Yet he did not struggle, why bother when they were going to take him exactly where he wanted to go, the scarf was wrenched from his grip and he reluctantly allowed them to take it, knowing that he would be reunited with Mariahya soon.

It felt like they had been walking forever, he knew that they'd walked through the forest for a long time and then into a building and down a flight of stairs before the bag was tugged from his head. Instead of smiling though, Artigas looked around the dimly lit room in confusion and he realised it was a cell of some kind. His captors led him over to a wall and wasted no time in securing him with chains, not caring about how tightly they bound his wrists as he winced as he felt his bounds rubbing and pinching at the skin around his wrists. He struggled at first as his captors turned his back on him and left the cell, locking the door behind them despite the fact that he was tied up and couldn't escape even if he wanted to.

Mariahya

[Mariahya]

Don’t let me slip away…I need you here till the very end…so stay here with me.. Artigas Twenty-one. Mariahya turned twenty one and not a day later she was brought up as leader of her people. Her predecessor had been preparing her for her reign for years...telling her that on her birthday he would step down as he was getting too old...too sick to care for their people. She knew that the day would come, but she feared it now more than ever that it would be more difficult to take care of her clan. They had been at war ever since the Skikru fell to the Earth. The clans were at war and her ways were not ideal. She had killed many and her clan had killed even more. Her warriors were ruthless in protecting Trishana, which she was grateful for, but the concept of killing still didn't sit well with her. But she had no choice....she had to bring about death to keep the lives of those she loved. She had been leader for some time now and she found that there were some who respected her. Her warriors were loyal to her despite their lack of interest in her peaceful ways...for that she was grateful. And then of course there was Hartley. Hartley was her most trusted advisor and warrior. He never left her side unless she asked him to. He had almost lost his life too many times to count on behalf of Mari and she tries her best to avoid those thoughts. She couldn't lose Hartley...especially now. There was too much to lose...and she couldn't lose him too. Mari was in her room looking out at her people from above. She had been moved to the quarters of her leader and it had been fit to her liking. More fit for a young woman...not an old man. She turned back to her clothes and pulled on a black and pink long-sleeve dress, the color of her people and a sign of her power, and then tied a scarf tightly around her waist. Her fingers let the soft fabric bring back memories of the only other scarf she had ever worn. 5 years ago...the Trikru man...She had given him her scarf and she had the matching one. She never left her room without it knowing that he never left his without the piece of woven cloth either. She closed her eyes and smiled remembering Artigas' big strong arms holding her close to his chest and his lips against her skin. "Find me..." She whispered. There was no chance of him finding her now...especially amongst all this war and hatred. But his memories were enough for her...at least for now. She was interrupted from her thoughts when there was vigorous banging at her door. She turned quickly. "Come in..." She said gently. She was shocked to see 4 guards enter her chambers, clearly upset. "Lady Mariahya..." They bowed their head in her presence. She returned the gesture. "Yes?" She asked taking a step closer to them. One warrior, Marcos, the leader of her guard stepped forward and she awaited his words. "During our watch this evening we came across a enemy warrior...he claims to know you and has asked to see you." Mari raised her eye brow "And why does he wish to see me?" She would favor the warriors request but not until she knew what he wanted. Marcos spoke again. "He did not say what he wanted...but he had this in his possession." Mari felt her heart stop at the sight of her scarf bunched up in the hand of her head guard. Mari took it from his hands, knowing immediately that it was the twin to the one wrapped around her waist. "Where is he?" She demanded already moving to leave her room. She didn't wait for an answer. She knew where they would keep him, especially if they had intentions to torture or kill him. She started to run to the cells, ignoring the words or comments of her clan as they watched their leader run through the forest. She saw the cell and prayed that he was down there and that she wasn't too late...or else she would have to take the life of one of her warriors...blood must have blood.  She held the scarf tightly in her hands as she descended the stone stairs to the cell block. Mari took a deep breath before pulling open the door. She saw a tall man chained to the walls. This couldn't be him could it? He was much larger than she remembered....so much older...but then again so was she. Her hair was longer, her curves more developed, her body grown into. She was a woman..and this was a man. The light from the open door hit his face and she felt tears prick at her eyes. She just stood in the doorway unable to move...she couldn't believe it was true. Her voice finally came out barely above a whisper. "You found me...."

BY SKYLARK'S FOLLY AT ADOXOGRAPHY & CAUTION

[Artigas]

Artigas struggled against the chains that bound him to the wall, knowing that the warriors could return at any moment, his chains dug into his wrists making his stay in the cell even more uncomfortable than it needed to be. He had faith in Mariahya, it had been a while since they'd seen each other, it felt like forever but she would not allow him to die. He was sure of that much at least. A lot had changed through the years, but not the way that he felt about her, that would never change and he hoped that her feelings for him remained unchanged as well.

He hadn't been waiting long, he hadn't expected anyone to come for him so soon after his captors had left but sooner than expected he heard hurried footsteps on the stairs that led down to his cell. It was only one set of footsteps, they felt too light to be that of one of the men that had brought him there and already he could feel the spark of hope ignite within his chest. He heard the door of the cell swing open and slowly he turned to see who had entered the cell. Already his heart was beating rapidly in his chest as he spotted the young woman that stood in the doorway. She'd changed so much, she was older like him, taller and she looked more like a woman than the girl that he'd met in the forest five years ago but it was definitely her.

The moment he lay eyes upon her, he strained against his chains not caring that his chains were digging into his wrists, all he wanted was to be next to her, to touch her and make sure that she was real and that this was not a dream. "I told you I would" he breathed as he heard her voice, it was slightly different to how he remembered it but he was sure that his own voice had changed with age as well, it had become deeper and he now sounded like the man that he was. His eyes roamed over her body, taking in every little detail of her as if fearing that the time that he had with her was limited and he had to look at her for as long as he possibly could.

"You've changed..." he told her, a smile appearing on his face as he spoke the words that played upon his mind. Despite his current situation and the fact that he had not imagined their next meeting place to be in a cell with him as a prisoner, it was hard to focus on the negatives when after all those years he had finally found her. "I'm sorry it took so long, but with everything that has happened... It was hard to get away" he wished he'd have come sooner, so that he could be with her for longer. He hoped that she had not begun to lose hope and that she wasn't angry with him for taking his time in finding her, she didn't appear to be mad but looks could be deceiving.

Mariahya

[Mariahya]

Don’t let me slip away…I need you here till the very end…so stay here with me.. Artigas Mari closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath upon hearing his voice for the first voice for the first time in 5 years. It was deeper…more the voice of a man now. And it still brought chills to her spine to hear him speak.. She felt her cheeks go red and swallowed the lump in her throat as she watched him rake his eyes over her body. She took him in to, realizing that he had changed so much. "You've changed..." Mari smiled at his words. “So have you….” She said softly. “I’m sorry it took so long, but with everything that has happened…it was hard to get away.” Mari shook her head as he spoke and took the keys from outside the cell, then walked closer to him. She still couldn’t believe it was real. “You do not have to apologize…” She reached her hand out and touched his arm. She closed her eyes again, a single tear falling onto her cheeks. He was real. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck never wanting to let him go again. She let her small body rest in his muscled arms for what seemed like forever and not long enough before she pulled back, finding the right key to let him free. She finally managed to unchain him and she took his wrists in her hands, her expression pained realizing he was hurt. “I am so sorry that they hurt you…” She whispered and looked up at him. She was still in shock. “I can’t let myself believe you’re real…I have waited too long for you…” She said placing her small hand on his chest, his chest that had grown more muscular since she had last seen him. His skin was warm and the more she thought about it, he had to really be here. Her dreams had never been this vivid... Mari was afraid to believe that this was happening. Because she knew that if it was a dream, she would wake up soon and find it all to be gone. Artigas had been away from Trishana for 5 years…and for 5 years Mari had faced every day hoping to see him come through the trees and take her into his arms. And now…he was here…and he had been chained up because of her. And now…they could finally be back in each other’s arms. It didn’t matter how much time they had this time around…she was going to make the most of it. She wasn’t going to let him leave her this time..not without letting him know how she truly felt. She could feel his heart beating under her hand and she knew hers was matching his. Her heart hadn’t matched someone else’s since that day in the forest. She knew it never would…she feared her mother would have tried to marry her off… but she had to wait to find out if what she had with Artigas had been real…and now here he was. He was really here… Her eyes looked up to meet his. "You can't be real..."

BY SKYLARK'S FOLLY AT ADOXOGRAPHY & CAUTION

[Artigas]

He noticed her smile as it appeared on her face and it made him weak to see it again after so long, he'd waited so long to see her, to hold her and now she was stood in front of him and he could barely contain himself now, he'd never been this overwhelmed with emotion before. He held his breath as she walked closer to him and he didn't exhale until her hand touched his arm and he let out a shaky breath. He could feel the warm of her hand against his skin and it was then that he knew that she was really there with him in the cell and he wasn't imagining her. She said that he didn't have to apologise, but he felt like he did, for keeping her waiting for so long, for wasting so much time. They'd lost five years of their lives that they could've spent together if only they'd been born into the same clan.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and his whole body relaxed at the contact, he needed her to be close to him, he had waited so long to be with her and the possibility that now everything could be different was almost too good to believe in. He knew that now that she was with him and he had touched her again for the first time in five years that he could never let her go, that was not a possibility and he was not prepared to abandon her again. He would not be able to take that heartache. She unlocked his chains, freeing his hands and he let out a gasp as he felt the chains fall away from his wrists and she took his wrists in her hands. Seeing the sadness on her face, he let out a sigh "don't be... They were just protecting their people" he muttered as he watched her, unable to look away from this woman that he'd fallen for so many years ago. "None of that matters... Not now, all that matters is that I am here with you, things could be different now" he told her, his voice soft and gentle, reassuring her that he did not care about the physical wounds that he had received after entering Trishana territory.

His eyes locked with hers as she placed a hand on his chest and he smiled "I am real... You can feel my heart beating within my chest, you can hear my voice and touch my skin and I am never going to leave you again" he breathed as he brought a hand up to touch her face, stroking her face with a thumb as he gazed into her eyes. Her eyes were just as he remembered them, the same colour as they'd always been, he knew that it would be the little things that he'd miss most about her and this was no exception. He pulled her to him in much the same way that he had five years previously, holding her close to him and he just allowed his arms to wrap around her in an almost protective fashion. He was still larger than she was and he held her small form easily within his arms "I missed you..." he spoke the words that he had wanted to speak for a while, knowing them to be true. The years that he'd spent without her had been the longest of his life and he had no intention of ever going a day without her again.

Mariahya

[Mariahya]

Don’t let me slip away…I need you here till the very end…so stay here with me.. Artigas Mari could hear him breathing and that sound alone brought a smile to her lips. He was here. "None of that matters... Not now, all that matters is that I am here with you, things could be different now". She was hopeful for those words. She wanted him to be here with her for as long as he could be….she didn’t want to feel the lonliness she felt on that night as she watched him walk into the darkness and out of her life. It was too painful the first time. Could things be different? Could they be together? She wasn't so sure. But she was hopeful. "I am real... You can feel my heart beating within my chest, you can hear my voice and touch my skin and I am never going to leave you again". Mari knew his words to be true. She ran her hands over his arms and leaned her cheek against his hand as it touched her skin. It almost sent a shock through her. When she felt him pull her flush to his body, she let out a soft gasp and then sighed when she felt his arms fall protectively around her. "I missed you...". Mari lifted her eyes to meet his. “I missed you more…” she said breaking out into a smile. Artigas was here. This was no dream. She still couldn’t shake it from her mind that she would turn around for a moment and find him to be gone the next. She wasn’t prepared for that. For five years she had led her people, moving through the ranks and watched as lives were lost. She felt like her own life had been lost after seeing Artigas walk away from her. She knew that it was not intentional on either of their behalves but she felt like her heart had been ripped from her chest. And now.....5 years later here he was ready to put her back together again. It was all to good to be true... Mari leaned her head back on his chest and just let her body feel his heart beat and time her own to his. Minutes passed but to her it may have well been years. She was just so happy to be back in his arms again. She took her head off of his chest and looked up at him, he had grown so much taller. Yes she too had gotten taller, but he was enormous now…She put her hand back on his chest. “Not a day went by that I didn't think of you...” She said quietly and leaned up on her tip toes, like she did all those years ago, and kissed his cheek softly. Pulling away, though just barely, she left her lips only inches from his. She wanted it to happen…but she couldn’t bring herself to do it…she was afraid this was all still some cruel joke and he would disappear before her very eyes the moment she gave in….

BY SKYLARK'S FOLLY AT ADOXOGRAPHY & CAUTION

[Artigas]

Their future couldn't be more uncertain, but there was one thing that Artigas was sure of and that was the love that he felt for this girl. He loved her so much that it hurt, it hurt to think that one day he might lose her. One day they might have to say goodbye forever and he didn't think that he could live with that, she was the only person who seemed to understand him, the only girl he knew that had ever cared for him and the only one he had ever cared for. He didn't care for the pain in his lip or his wrists, the only thing that could possibly hurt him in this moment was if she was taken away from him and he would not allow that to happen, nothing and nobody would ever come between them because he would not allow it to.

He felt her hands travelling along his arms and he smiled at how happy she seemed to be at finally being in his arms once again, he could feel her head leaning into his hand as he placed it on her cheek. I missed you more. The words made him chuckle at the very idea "I don't think that is possible" he breathed as he studied her face, taking in every last detail so that he would never forget her, he didn't need a memory when he never intended to leave her side again. He needed her to know that he would never leave, but it would take time for her to believe in his words, he knew that when the odds were stacked against them.

As she leaned her head against his chest, he was content to just stand there and hold her, he didn't need her to say anything and he felt no desire to speak and to break the peaceful silence that had settled over them. He felt his heart swell as she looked up at him and spoke about how she had thought about him each day since he had left and he couldn't help but smile when he realised that he had not been the only one whose thoughts were occupied by the other "You are all I seemed to think about each day" he muttered as he held her, feeling her hand on his chest. He still couldn't get over the fact that she was really there in his arms, but she was and he would never let her go, not again, not this time.

He felt her lips on his cheek like all those years ago and was surprised when her face remained close to him, her lips were only inches away from his and as he watched her, he knew what he wanted to happen and he could see it in her eyes, she wanted it too. Maybe she needed it to reassure her that he really wasn't going anywhere and that he was real and intended to stay with her for the rest of their lives. Whatever the reason he felt himself close the distance between them and suddenly his lips brushed against hers in a somewhat hesitant kiss, pulling the girl closer to him as he did so. He'd never kissed anyone before, he figured that he would have but the only girl he had on his mind was Mari and she was miles away from him.

Mariahya

[Mariahya]

Don’t let me slip away…I need you here till the very end…so stay here with me.. Artigas Mari smiled when he laughed. It was one of the things she had missed the most about him. His laugh would always make her smile and she would do anything to hear him let out that low chuckle again. "I don't think that is possible". She blushed as she let him study her face, she knew what he was doing by the intense gaze that his eyes held. She would let him take all the time he needed if it meant she could stay in his arms. There was no where else she would rather be than right here. "You are all I seemed to think about each day". The familiar flutter in her heart that she had missed so much returned to her and she couldn’t help the way her eyes glazed over when she looked up at him. To know that he was thinking about her every day for five years made her the happiest girl on earth. There was never a moment where another man crossed her thoughts. It was always of Artigas. There had been warriors who had approached her looking to pursue something with their leader, but she had turned every single one of them down. Her heart had only room to love one…and he was holding her this very moment. Mari felt her breath get hitched in her throat when she saw Artigas’ gaze fall to her own lips. She was afraid she was being too forward until his lips met hers the rest of the way. Her body felt like it was melting in his arms and she was grateful when she felt his grip on her tighten, her body finding its’ way closer to his. She snaked her arms back up around his neck and held her body as close to his as she could, returning his kiss. It was innocent and sweet and Mari knew that they easily could have continued, but she wanted to get out of the cell… She broke away from his kiss reluctantly and touched her lips, a smile on them. Mari couldn’t believe that it finally happened. She looked up into his eyes, for sure blushing. “I have waited five years for that…” She whispered, laughing softly. She ran her hands down his arms and slipped her small hand into his liking how it fit perfectly with his. She frowned seeing how badly his wrists looked and then noticed that he had a cut on his lip as well. Her guards would pay for hurting him… but she wasn’t going to worry about that right now. Mari started walking towards the door keeping her hand in his. “Come with me…” She said with the intentions of bandaging his wounds. “Most of my people will be in their homes, so we can walk in peace..” She smiled and squeezed his hand to reassure that he would be okay. She started to ascend the staircase and closed her eyes as the moonlight hit her face. Mari planned to take him to her quarters to take care of him…she just hoped that Hartley was otherwise occupied.

BY SKYLARK'S FOLLY AT ADOXOGRAPHY & CAUTION

[Artigas]

As he felt her begin to kiss him back, his heartbeat grew ever faster as he realised that she reciprocated his feelings. The last traces of doubt evaporated from his min as she wrapped her arms around his neck and he felt her press her body closer to him. He hadn't felt this way about another human being throughout his whole life and the feelings that he had for her almost scared him. The burning urge to protect her was overwhelming despite the fact that she was a capable warrior and he didn't doubt for a second that she could protect herself from anyone that dared to challenge her. All too soon Mari pulled away from him and he smiled as he saw her raise a hand to her lips, a smile upon her face. Her face was once again flushed with colour and Artigas wondered if he'd ever get bored of seeing her smile, of hearing her laugh and noticing the blush that coloured her cheeks in moments like this, he didn't think so.

"I have waited five years for that…” she whispered to him and he let out a sigh of contentment, he didn't even care that they'd just had their first kiss in a dingy cell, all that mattered to him was that they were finally together after five long years of waiting. "As have I" he muttered a short reply as she heard her laughter and a chuckle escaped him. Her laugh was infectious, once he'd heard it he couldn't help but join in, feeling her hand slip into his, his smile broadened. Five years without even hearing news of her and now here she was and everything had just happened to fast, it was amazing when he thought of how he'd imagined searching Trishana territory for weeks trying to find her. He barely felt the pain from his injuries now and it was all down to her, she took away his pain without even trying, he couldn't put into words how he felt about her and he didn't think he needed to, she knew how he felt about her or at least he hoped that she knew.

Allowing her to lead him out of his cell, his brow furrowed in confusion "where are we going?" he asked her as he followed her, he was curious to see more of her land, to see the place that she called her home but he was also cautious, he didn't want to cause trouble for her with her people. She was their leader and they might not take kindly to her welcoming an outsider into their ranks. He would not allow their differences to separate them, however much people disapproved of their relationship he was determined that he would not be forced to leave her side again, the last time had hurt enough and he wasn't going to put her through that again, he didn't want to go through that again.

"Do you think now that I'm no longer a prisoner, you could persuade your warriors to return my weapons?" he asked her with a smirk, he didn't mind the hostile welcome he'd received upon entering their territory, he didn't mind that he'd been attacked or even that he'd been chained up. However he didn't appreciate his weapons being taken from him, he understood that it was necessary to ensure the safety of the Trishana villagers and he didn't blame the warriors treating him as they had but he would like the weapons back, they were a part of his clan and they belonged with him even if they were just tools to ensure his own survival. "What about your people? Your family... Will they approve of us?" he whispered the question to her, he didn't care about the judgement of others, he only cared about making her life more difficult than it needed to be and he was sure that their relationship would complicate things.

Mariahya

[Mariahya]

Don’t let me slip away…I need you here till the very end…so stay here with me.. Artigas Mari was happy to hear that he too had wanted to kiss her. Feeling his lips on her own was something she had only dreamed about. It was so much better in real life. Walking with him now, she could still feel the whisper of his lips over hers and she wanted that feeling back. But she would wait until they were safe in her chambers. She would wait until she knew she could kiss him without fear of him being chained or hurt or injured because of her. She still couldn’t believe he had gotten hurt because of her. “Where are we going?" Mari turned her head to look up at him and she knew a blush had to be crawling up her cheeks as she spoke. “Um…my chambers…” She said softly. “You’ll be safe there…I promise…” She said leaning her body into his ever so slightly as they walked towards her home. She was nervous about how this would all go down and she could tell he was too. But she had him…he was here and she was not about to let him walk away or sit in a cell just because they weren’t supposed to be seen together. "Do you think now that I'm no longer a prisoner, you could persuade your warriors to return my weapons?" Rylee smirked. “They don’t need persuasion…they have to listen to me.” She couldn’t help but laugh. She had never needed to truly use her power without asking of her warriors. But she had a feeling that they would be reluctant to return his weapons knowing he would be staying in the chambers of their leader. But she didn’t care. Mari trusted Artigas with her heart, her body, her mind, her everything. If he had wanted to kill her, he could have done it already…and she could have done the same to him…but she didn’t and neither did he. "What about your people? Your family... Will they approve of us?" Mari sighed knowing his questions were valid. She stopped walking and turned to face him, her face highlighted by the moon. “I cannot speak for them…” She started softly. “But all those years ago…Hartley watched us…he was never far…and I should have known he was close by.” She laughed softly. “He realized that whoever the mysterious man was…well he made me happy…and Hartley wants me to be happy.” She smiled knowing that Artigas made her eternally happy. She put her hand on his cheek. “Hartley will surely be cautious of you…yes because you’re Trikru…but also because I’m his baby sister…and it’s his job.” She kept her eyes on his and let out soft laugh knowing Hartley would struggle with his sister finding love. “But he also knows that I have been hurt in the past and knowing that someone wants to protect me will also make him the happiest big brother alive.” She leaned up and kissed his lips gently, just once before pulling back and starting to walk again. It was so nice to be able to just kiss when they wanted to…she never wanted to stop. But she had to if they were going to get anywhere. She finally got them to her home. The small tower built up into the trees. She started to walk up the stairs leading to her chambers and stopped seeing her guards outside the door. She dropped his hand and walked to Stephen, her guard in charge of weapons. Speaking to him in hushed tones she tried to be stern to get him to return Artigas’ weapons. She turned from him and as she passed Marcos to walk to Artigas again, she kept her eyes firm on his. “I will deal with you later…” She said gently, though stern and took Artigas by the hand before walking into her room…

BY SKYLARK'S FOLLY AT ADOXOGRAPHY & CAUTION

[Artigas]

"Your chambers?" he questioned her, a curious smile upon his face. He was curious to see where she lived and to see how Trishana homes differed from Trikru homes. Artigas knew that she wanted to protect him from her warriors just as he desired to protect her from harm. He felt her lean into him as they walked and wrapped an arm around her waist as if some unseen force had glued him to her. He was nervous about how her people would react to her welcoming a Trikru warrior into their clan, he knew that the last time that they had spoken she had talked about how many of her people didn't respect her and he wondered if that had changed.

A chuckle escaped him at her words "True..." he agreed with a nod of his head, amused by her answer "but you can be very persuasive when you want to be" he recalled when they had first met, how the girl had persuaded him to stay and play with her when really he should have travelled back to his own village. He had been late home and when his parents saw him, he had been punished for his absence, apparently they'd started to worry that he'd been killed by one of the many predators that shared their land and he'd felt guilty at the time for making them worry for his safety.

As she came to a halt and he stopped in front of her as she spoke to him. He was surprised to learn that her brother had been listening in to their conversation when they were children "Your brother does care about you a lot... Does he eavesdrop on your conversations often?" he asked her with a grin, not really annoyed at the revelation. It made him feel better to know that somebody had been looking out for her whilst he was so far away. "I'm hoping that your brother learns to understand that I care more about you than I do about anything else in the world and that I would rather die than see anything cause you pain" as she reached up to kiss him again briefly, he felt his smile grow. "Maybe he will even warm to me with time when he realises that I care about you just as much as he does" the warrior ventured as he allowed her to lead him onwards.

Walking with her, he spotted the strange building that looked as if it was part of the tree and for a few moments he was unsure of what he was actually looking at until he realised that this must be where Mariahya lived. He climbed the stairs with her and he couldn't help but hesitate when he noticed the warriors standing at the top of the stairs, her hand slipped from his and as she walked forwards, he had to trust that her warriors would never harm her although it felt strange allowing her to be so close to people who had just recently attacked him. After a brief exchange with the guards, Mari returned to him and he was grateful when she once again took his hand and led him inside, his presence went unchallenged as he was with her. Staring around the room with a look of awe on his face at how this room could fit inside a tree, he smiled "So this is your home?" he muttered and he instantly knew why she loved it so much.

Mariahya

[Mariahya]

Don’t let me slip away…I need you here till the very end…so stay here with me.. Artigas Mari couldn’t help but smile at Artigas’ words regarding her brother. “ Does he eavesdrop on your conversations often?" She smirked. “He has learned which ones are necessary to eavesdrop on and which he should leave well enough alone…don’t worry…he won’t be eavesdropping on us tonight.” She didn’t need her older brother hearing her talking to Artigas or even worse overhearing them kiss. "I'm hoping that your brother learns to understand that I care more about you than I do about anything else in the world and that I would rather die than see anything cause you pain. Maybe he will even warm to me with time when he realizes that I care about you just as much as he does" Mari knew her cheeks had to be red at his words. No one had ever said anything like that to her before. No had ever cared about her that much…except for Hartley..but he didn’t count. He was her brother and advisor…her protector. He had to care for her. But no other man had ever vowed to protect her like Artigas did. She knew she would always be safe with him by her side. Mari laughed softly at his reaction to her home. She nodded her head. Her bed was canopied with glowing branches from the forest and there was even a butterfly perched on one of the four posts. She smiled. Nature had become a part of her room ever since she took over the quarters. Orange, pink and yellow, the colors of her people were draped across the room as well. She paused her movements and looked up at him placing a finger to his lips to quiet him. She smirked as her ears picked up the quietest of sounds coming from somewhere in her room. She walked over to her bed and reached down pulling up the blankets. “Found you!” She said laughing and watched as a small girl clothed in Trishana colors crawled out from underneath her bed. "No fair...you always find me" The little girl whined. “You know I will always hear you sweet girl.” She said smiling at the young one who barely came up to Mari’s waist. “Louisa this is Artigas….Artigas…this is Louisa…she is the daughter of my healer.” She put her hands on the girl’s shoulders. “And she likes to try and sneak up on me…” She said squeezing her shoulders before pulling her up on the bed to sit next to her. The little girl giggled as Mari tickled her. “I just wanted to say goodnight….and maybe see if you could braid my hair again?” The small child looked up at her clan’s leader innocently. Mari could never say no to the girl and she knew it. She used her cuteness to get to Mari’s heart, not that it took much. Mari saw much of herself in the girl. She pulled the girl onto her lap and combed her fingers through her long auburn hair. “It’s almost your bed time little one…” Mari said as she started one of the braids. Louisa gave an innocent smirk. “I told daddy that I was coming to see you and he let me stay up late to wait.” Mari laughed. “You have him wrapped around your little finger don’t you?” She said starting on the second braid. Louisa tipped her head back “You too…” Mari laughed. “You certainly do little one. There you go! All finished.” She smiled and stood up, dropping the young girl onto her feet. Louisa turned her eyes and they grew big looking up at the tall man who was in a room that she was so used to just seeing Mari in. She walked up to him cautiously and Mari watched in awe. Louisa was loving yes, but she had never shown affection to people she did not know…never mind an enemy warrior. She stood right in front of Artigas and put her small hand on his enormous one. “Good night Arty” She said giving him a big smile, not being able to get his whole name out. She turned on her heel and ran to Mari, giving her a hug and then stepping back and bowing her head slightly. She may be loving and small, but she still knew how to respect her leader. “Good night Mari!” She squealed and ran out the door, forgetting to shut it. Mari laughed as she left and walked over to she the door, leaning her back against it. “I’m sorry about that….I always have to sit and listen for a moment to make sure she isn’t hiding in here…because she usually is.” She smiled and started to pull her hair out of her own braid, letting her long curls fall loose around her face. “I promise…no more interruptions tonight…not when we have so much time to make up for.” She smiled. She had already told her second that he was not to disturb her for the rest of the night unless it was an emergency. And she did not anticipate any emergencies happening tonight…not in peace time. Mari looked up at Artigas, her eyes locking on his. She smirked and beckoned him to her with her finger. They had lots of time to make up for not just in life stories…but also being in each other’s arms….kissing each other..everything.

BY SKYLARK'S FOLLY AT ADOXOGRAPHY & CAUTION

[Artigas]

Artigas was pleased to learn that her brother would not be listening in on them "but won't he be worried?" he questioned her, raising an eyebrow quizzically "when he learns from your warriors that you are alone with a man from a rival clan?" the last thing he wanted was for anyone to see him as a threat to her or to any of their people. His only desire was for him to be allowed to stay with her without question or judgement but he felt like that was too much to ask for at the current time.

He was confused when she brought a finger to his lips and crossed over to her bed, she wanted him to be quiet, for what reason, he didn't know. When she lifted up the covers, he was bewildered to see a small girl hiding there. Mari and this girl seemed to be playing some sort of game and the warrior knew that he shouldn't be surprised about this considering Mari's playful nature when he first met her. Maybe she encouraged the children in her clan to play such games as well, as Mari introduced him to the girl whose name he now knew was Louisa, he smiled "it's nice to meet you" he muttered, his voice gentle as he modified his tone so that he didn't sound intimidating to the child. The fact that she was the daughter of the clans healer made him chuckle "it seems like we've got something in common" he told her, he was also the child of a healer and as such he had come to learn of the fragility of life and how sometimes just a minor injury could prove fatal if it wasn't cared for correctly.

He stood watching as the conversation unfolded and Mari braided the child's hair, it reminded him again of how different their clans were, he couldn't imagine a Trikru child playing hide and seek with the chief of his village. That was an almost scary thought, as Mari finished braiding her hair and the child ran over to him, he laughed as she shortened his name obviously unable to get the whole word out. He felt her tiny hand touch his own "Good night" he breathed a quick goodbye to the girl before she ran back to Mari and gave her an almost too enthusiastic hug before she sprinted from the room. The girl had so much energy even at this time and Artigas pitied her parents who would have to try and get her to sleep. "You're good with her" he told Mariahya and he watched her close the door.

"You don't have to be sorry... It's easy to see that the child cares for you, a great leader is loved by their people" he assured her as she apologised for the girls presence. Walking towards her as she let her hair out of her braid, he pulled her into a hug as if the time that they'd spent apart whilst she had been tending to the child was too long. He was curious about what her life had been like whilst he was away, how much had changed and also about her peoples customs, how their ways differed from Trikru's.

Mariahya

[Mariahya]

Don’t let me slip away…I need you here till the very end…so stay here with me.. Artigas Mari laughed softly. “Worry may as well be Hartley’s middle name.” She smiled. “But my warriors are trained to see and not tell unless asked by me or if they feel I am imminent danger…” She looked over at Artigas. “And after they saw how I ran to your cell…I have a feeling that they know I am not afraid of the man I ran to.” She smiled softly. She couldn’t help but stand back and smile seeing how Artigas interacted with Louisa. It was interesting to see a man so large act so calm and loving towards a little girl who barely reached his knees. She was small for her age, but she was certainly feisty. Mari had learned that watching the young girl grow up. She watched as he said goodnight to her and felt herself get shy at his words of her being good with Louisa. “She lost her mother shortly after she was born. I have kept an eye on her ever since. With the wars and battles, her father is often busy healing upon return to the village. So I watch her whenever I can…try to make her feel like she can live as normal a life as possible. When I am away fighting or meeting with other leaders, she crawls into my bed at night to sleep because it’s one of the only places she truly feels safe…” Mari felt for the girl. She really did. Someone had to be a mom for her. She smiled as Artigas walked to her and hugged her. “She only loves me because I braid her hair…” Mari smirked and then let out a soft laugh. “But honestly she just needs someone to look out for her… her dad can only do so much..” She sighed. Looking down, she noticed that Artigas’ wrists were still cut up from the chains. She frowned again and led him over to her water basin by the window. Soaking some fabric, she gently pressed the warm cloth around his wrist to wipe off any blood and to clean the wounds. She did so on both wrists and made sure that they were clean. "I am so so sorry..." She whispered softly. "They had no right to do this...protection of my people or not..." She took clean cloth and wrapped a piece around each wrist just to keep them dry. “I’m no healer…but at least that will keep them from infection.” She said running her hands back up his arms and then she looked to his face remembering the cut on his lip. She cleaned it gently with the warm water and smiled sadly. “I can’t put any bandages on that one…” She kept her eyes on his. “But I can try to make it feel better.” She smirked and leaned up to press her lips gently against his. She didn’t want to put too much pressure and risk hurting his lip even more, but she wanted to kiss him and be in his arms. This was far too long of a time to be apart. She broke off the kiss after a minute or so and turned her body to look out the window. There was still so much on her mind. As much as she wanted to kiss him, there was still so much to talk about between the two of them...5 years worth of talking. “Did you know that every night…every night for 5 years I would go out to the waterfall at midnight and sit there…waiting….hoping that I would see your shadow passing through the trees…” She kept her eyes on the rising moon. “Every night I would go back thinking ‘he has to come today…he promised he would’ and every night you weren’t there.” She turned to face him, her body leaning against the frame of the window. “Five years is an awfully long time to wait for a man who you thought you’d never see again…a man who ran into just some silly little girl in the forest...a man who is far to good for you…” She turned back to face out towards the window, the moon starting to shine on her face. “I thought you had forgotten about me….”

BY SKYLARK'S FOLLY AT ADOXOGRAPHY & CAUTION

[Artigas]

Smiling at her words he let out a sigh "You did seem to get to my cell extraordinarily quickly after your warriors had left me there" he told her. He hadn't expected her to reach him as quickly as she had and he saw it as a sign to show how much she cared for him and did not wish for him to come to any harm. But still he couldn't help but be cautious of her people, they probably didn't trust him and if he was completely honest he didn't trust them either but he trusted Mari and that her people would respect her authority.

When Mari told him about the child being motherless, Artigas instantly felt sorry for her. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to grow up without a mother. Both his parents had always been in his life, he was one of the lucky ones. So many children had been orphaned by war, he was tired of seeing them grow up without their parents.  "You love the child?" he asked her out of curiosity, he found that it was hard not to care for the children in his own village, they each had their own personality and reacted to things differently. He often took to watching the children as they sparred together, it was interesting to see what the new generation of his clans warriors were like and he loved to see their strength grow as each adapted to a life of fighting. He thought that it was sweet, the bond Mari and Louisa seemed to have and he'd continue to encourage it as every child needed somebody to look up to in life, for him it had been his father, but this child did not have a mother to look up to and so she needed somebody else in her life to guide her.

Artigas allowed her to lead him to the water basin and winced as she pressed the cloth to his wounds, they were sore and he was beginning to notice the pain more and more with each passing minute. "Do not apologise..." he told her as she tended to his injuries "Your warriors had every right to attack me, for all they knew I was going to harm their families and I would've done the same thing if I saw one of your warriors invading my home" he knew that she was just upset that he had been hurt whilst trying to find her, but he understood the duties of a warrior and that they couldn't allow an enemy to casually stroll onto their land without punishing them for it. "I do not want you to punish your men for what they did to me... Swear that you won't" his voice became firm as he spoke now, he didn't want to make enemies within her clan and he definitely didn't want anyone to be punished just for doing their job.

Allowing her to clean the cut on his lip, he smirked as she spoke and leant up to kiss him gently and he willingly kissed her back. He could tell that she didn't want to hurt him and the fact of the matter was that he didn't even mind the slight pain that this action caused from his injured mouth. He just wanted to hold her and to kiss her, to show her how much he cared for her even if that could not be summed up by a simple action. As she drew away from him, the warrior instantly felt guilty as he listened to what she had to say "I'm sorry..." was all that he could find the strength to respond with. He had never meant to hurt her, he'd never thought that she'd go to those lengths to watch out for him. "Shortly after I left you, we had all that trouble with Skaikru" he muttered by way of an explanation. Trikru had been at war with the sky people ever since they had landed in their territory. "My people needed me, I needed to protect them" he could still remember the night that Skaikru assassins had attacked his village, he could remember the bite of the bullet, the sound of gun fire. He'd survived the attack although he'd been injured by their weapons but he had survived his injuries. The same could not be said for seventeen other people who inhabited Tondc, he had failed them and for a while after he could not even imagine seeking out Mari. War took hold of their land and made it impossible for him to risk leaving, if anything more had happened to his village whilst he was away he didn't know how he could live with that.

"I could never forget about you" he assured her as he took her hand and held onto it even though she had turned away from him now "and it is you that is too good for me, you are kind, intelligent, beautiful, funny... Everything that I am not and do not deserve" he didn't want her to talk like this, like she didn't deserve him.


Mariahya