The Good And Bad And All In-Between

[Mariahya]

Don’t let me slip away…I need you here till the very end…so stay here with me.. Artigas His words brought a smile to Mari’s lips. "You love the child?" She nodded her head. “I do. She reminds me to keep being a child in this new dark world we’ve been forced to live in…” She sighed. “It used to be me...reminding everyone to be carefree and happy…now she has to carry that on for me.” She smiled sadly. She still played games and enjoyed the nature around her. But having been chosen as the leader of her people certainly gave her less time to be a child. It pained her to have to slowly let go of her youth, but seeing it raised in Louisa was the next best thing. "I do not want you to punish your men for what they did to me... Swear that you won't". Mari smirked at what he said. He was being firm with her, his warrior voice coming out. “You haven’t used that voice with me since we first met…” She kept her eyes on his and raised her eyebrow, the smirk still on her lips. But then she got serious. “I promise…I will not punish them…” Marcos deserved to be punished after hurting Artigas. She would never physically harm him and Artigas knew that….but she was so upset that her warriors would hurt someone before even telling her who it was. This all could have been avoided. Mari smiled against his lips, feeling him kiss her back. She knew he was trying to be strong to fight through the pain that was inflicted on his lip. She had every intention of kissing him more later on that night…but they had lots to talk about before she could even consider getting physical with him. "I'm sorry..." Mari knew his words to be true. She believed him. But it didn’t heal the ache in her heart. She had seen him walk out of her life and she thought it had been forever. “You could have been dead and I would have never known…” She whispered, as if saying the words would make them come true. “That scared me more than anything…” She looked up at him. “I wouldn’t have cared if you had fallen in love with another woman, it would have broken my heart but at least you would have been safe….but if you had died I wouldn’t have known what to do with myself.” She shook her head and looked at the ground. Artigas had her heart…and she needed it to be whole. "I could never forget about you…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" Mari looked down at their hands as he grabbed hers. It brought a sad smile to her face. To know that he could never forget her, that at least started the mending. But he was not deserving of her? She didn’t agree. She shook her head again. “You are more than you think you are Artigas…..respectful and strong….and handsome” She squeezed his hand gently. “Many men tried to pursue me over the years…and I could not return their favors….all because I hoped that a boy I had once met would one day return as a man and feel the same way about some silly girl he had met in the forest as she did about him.…” She shook her head laughing. “But I waited…I waited for you because you promised you would come back…” She looked up into his eyes. “And here you are…” She leaned against the window frame, letting him hold her hand. “I just still can’t let my mind wrap around the fact that you’re here…in my room..”

BY SKYLARK'S FOLLY AT ADOXOGRAPHY & CAUTION

[Artigas]

Artigas was sad that Mari could no longer afford to act like a child, her responsibility to her people prevented her from being childish. It upset him because this was one of the things that had originally drawn him to her, the fact that she could be such a talented warrior but at the same time act like a child and play childish games that she managed to rope him into playing with her.

"Maybe one day this war will end and you will be able to act like a child again" he suggested, but he was doubtful, war seemed to be all that he knew. As soon as one war ended another began and it was always longer and cost more life than the last one, he knew that there would always be war but he was hopeful that one day he would not need to be a part of it and neither would Mari "War cannot be the answer to everything, what people don't see is that if the fighting continues, soon there will be no one left to fight these battles" letting out a sigh, he looked down at his hand that still held tightly to hers. He'd seen many of his people die in battle, his friends, people he cared about, just gone and he was tired of seeing life destroyed by war. He had a duty to protect his people and he killed when he needed to and the idea of his loved ones perishing in a battle terrified him more than the prospect of losing his own life.

Smiling gently at Mari's words he let out a quiet chuckle, he remembered when he had first met the girl, at first he had thought her to be an innocent girl maybe the daughter of a farmer or a merchant. How wrong he had been in his assumptions, he remembered his reluctance to play with her, convinced that playing was for children who could spare the time for it. He was glad that he'd given her a chance to win him over instead of leaving her territory without alerting her to his presence in Trishana territory. He heard her as she accepted that she would not punish her warriors and he trusted that she would keep her word

"punishing your people for protecting you and their families would be rather foolish, don't you think?" he asked her as he looked at her bandaged wrists "I have had far worse than this... I deserve more for allowing you to wait for me for so long" he hated that she had been made to wait for five years for him to return. He hated himself for making her feel like he had abandoned her when he would never dream of it. Frowning at her words he gave her hand a comforting squeeze "I would never fall for another woman, there has never been another woman..." he assured her, surprised that she would think that he'd move on to another girl as soon as he'd left her. No, the thought had never even crossed his mind, he cared about her too much to just move on. The smile returned his face slowly as he shifted his weight from one foot to another "Besides... How could I ever die in battle when I had your good luck charm?" he asked her, referring to the scarf that she'd given him the moment he'd departed back to Trikru all those years ago. She'd wished that it would give him luck and protect him during battle and it had certainly worked up until this point.

The fact that she thought so much of him warmed his heart, to feel loved was an indescribable feeling and he'd never known this kind of love before, his parents loved him dearly but this was different, to be loved by a girl and to return that love just as passionately was something special that he'd never experienced before.

"I am glad that you waited for me..." he admitted as he felt her gently squeeze his hand "I didn't know if you would, it has been so long that I thought maybe you'd moved on" five years was a long time to wait for somebody who might not return at all and he didn't know how she had managed to wait for him, he had managed it because he knew that one day he would return to her. She however, had no idea if he actually intended to return, she had to rely solely on his word. "I would've returned sooner, I wanted to... Many times I lay in bed at night and just thought about leaving, not telling anyone and just leaving in the middle of the night" he muttered, he was ashamed for having these feelings. His people came first, always... But his feelings for Mari clouded his judgement and seemed to push all thoughts of his people out of his mind. "One night, I'd resolved to leave early in the morning... Unable to bare the distance between us for much longer but before I got the chance to leave, Skaikru assassins infiltrated my village... Most of the warriors were gone, mostly children and elders remained and the assassins killed seventeen of my people unprovoked that night, they massacred my village, that is why I couldn't leave to find you sooner" he explained, the images still haunted him. Seeing his friends gunned down in front of him had been the worst thing he'd ever had to witness "After that, there wasn't much chance for me to get away, my people needed me and after that it was just one war after another, there was never peace" sighing heavily he watched Mari, hoping that she would blame him for 'abandoning' her but at the same time he couldn't see how she couldn't.

"Never once did I doubt my words to you, I always intended to return... Even if it took a life time" he whispered these words, knowing that they sounded empty now that he was here and after it had taken so long for him to reach her. He remembered how he'd left early that morning for Trishana territory, his parents had noticed a change in his behaviour and had simply thought that he was sick, but it was more than that, he could not remain in Trikru without her. He had left without even telling them where he was going, before they even woke, he had been gone and he hoped one day they would understand that he needed to leave. Leaving his family behind had been the hardest decision he'd ever needed to make, he'd given up so much just to pursue the hope that this girl would still be waiting for him after so many years.

Mariahya

[Mariahya]

Don’t let me slip away…I need you here till the very end…so stay here with me.. Artigas Mari let his words sink in. War was far from being over. But there was nothing she wanted more than to sit in the forest, the trees glowing around her and for her to not fear that at any moment her village could be attacked. She wanted Louisa to know the joy that she had as a child and a young girl. But she feared that joy was far from coming true. She knew he was right. Punishing her men for hurting him would be counterintuitive. She nodded her head solemnly and smiled at his laugh. "I have had far worse than this... I deserve more for allowing you to wait for me for so long". Mari looked down at his wrists again, “I would never wish pain upon you for making me wait…this was hard enough for me to see.” She didn’t want him to hurt or be injured. It only made her hurt worse. When Artigas squeezed her hand, she let her eyes lock on his. "I would never fall for another woman, there has never been another woman..." She took a shaky breath and felt her heart fluttering again. She knew he cared for her, but after 5 years there was never a thought that he would move on? Her heart swelled with love and she just wanted to let Artigas hold her and never let go. "Besides... How could I ever die in battle when I had your good luck charm?" Mari felt the smile come back to her face. She had never gone a day or a battle without wearing her own, the twin to his. She still had it on now as a matter of fact. She looked down at her waist. “I wore mine everyday…knowing you too had yours.” She smiled softly. He was somehow always with her even if she couldn’t feel or see him. "I am glad that you waited for me….I didn't know if you would, it has been so long that I thought maybe you'd moved on" Mari shook her head softly. “I never even had a thought cross my mind about another man…no one captured my heart as quickly as you did.” She smiled, her heart was his and only his. “Louisa’s father respectfully pursued me when the girl was 3…he had seen how I cared for her since she was born and after losing his wife, he knew that one day Louisa would need a mother. I couldn’t be his wife. I did not care for him in that way…I didn’t love him in that way…” She looked down at their connected hands. She loved Artigas…she really did… “But I promised him that I would always look out for Louisa, but he deserved to find a woman who could truly love him as well as care for his little girl…because I was waiting on another man…one who I knew I was meant for.” She brought her eyes back up to his as he spoke again. His words instilled hope in her having known that he had tried to find her many years before. She could only imagine what could have happened between them if they had met again so much sooner. Blood shed had struck her village. She was so grateful that most battles on her land had happened outside the village line….mostly the trees got the brunt of the battle lands. She lifted her hand to his cheek. “I am sorry that your people were slaughtered for no reason…the Skaikru does not understand…and they only seem to be making our lives worse.” She sighed. It was true. Skaikru had yet to infiltrate her people, but their presence had caused a war and with war comes fighting. Her warriors had seen more in these last 5 years then they had seen their entire lives. "Never once did I doubt my words to you, I always intended to return... Even if it took a life time" Mari closed her eyes and smiled. She knew he was never going to let her get away. She opened her eyes and laughed softly. “I am glad you didn’t take a lifetime…” She smiled again. “This room is much too large for one person…and to have to wait a lifetime to have the other half, well I would have gotten too lonely.” She smirked and slipped her arms just under his chest, resting her head there as well. “You have my heart Artigas…” She could her his heart beat thumping against his skin. “And no one else will ever come close to taking it away.”

BY SKYLARK'S FOLLY AT ADOXOGRAPHY & CAUTION

[Artigas]

Artigas didn't know when the war would end or if it ever would but he remained hopeful that one day he would not need to be a part of it and neither would Mari. One day maybe they could avoid all of the conflict, there would be no need for unnecessary bloodshed. During his time as a warrior he had seen villages ravaged by war, he'd seen parents mourning over the bodies of children, elders dying and forgotten lying beside their burnt out homes, it wasn't just the warriors that were affected, the innocents also got caught up in the war and it often cost them their lives.

He was pleased that she would not punish the men that had attacked him and he knew that she was only trying to protect him and make sure something like this never happened again but his honour as a warrior prevented him from allowing other warriors, no matter what clan they were in, receive punishment just for fulfilling their duty. "It barely hurts" he assured her, speaking about his injuries. They surely looked worse than they actually were and as long as he looked after the wounds and made sure to keep them free of infection then they would heal quickly, he wasn't concerned. As she spoke about her scarf that was wrapped around her waist, he dropped his gaze to look at it and he smiled as he reached out a hand, gently allowing his fingers to touch the fabric. "That's another thing your warriors took from me, I'd like it back if you don't mind" he told her warmly, his voice barely more than a whisper. He could not remember if Mari had been holding his scarf when she had come to fetch him, his mind had been preoccupied with the thoughts that buzzed around in his head after finally getting to see her again.

"It doesn't surprise me that many men took an interest in you" he muttered, not angry at the fact, he'd expected her beauty to attract the attention of men and although he felt protective of the young woman, he knew that her loyalty would never stray from him. "How old is the girl now?" he asked her casually, the child had looked rather small and he knew that she could be small for her age but he wanted to know. "It is kind of you to look out for her even if she is not your own" he muttered, he knew that his own parents had looked after the orphaned children in their village before he was born and he knew how it could be a challenge for some people to accept a child when they weren't really their own. She spoke about how she believed that she was meant for him, that they were meant for each other and he felt the smile on his face grow wider. He knew how he felt about her and was happy that she seemed to reciprocate his feelings.

She lifted her hand to his cheek and he let out a sigh "We got our revenge... It wasn't delivered to us the way that we wanted it to be, but it happened" he muttered. The death of the murderer didn't bring back the ones that were lost, but it gave the victims families a sense of closure. He didn't understand why Skaikru had targeted his people, he didn't know what they had done to provoke them into killing innocent people but war was war and every war had casualties.

Chuckling softly at her words he grinned "I'm glad as well, I fear that a life time spent without you would not be worth living" he told her. Glancing around the room he noticed that it was rather large, it was bigger than his whole house in Tondc and he figured that it was because of her rank that she had such a large sleeping area. As she lay her head against his chest he carefully wrapped his arms around her to keep her there in his arms, placing a kiss on the top of his head he listened as she spoke to him, he had no intention of allowing any man to try to win her heart, not now that he was here.

Mariahya

[Mariahya]

Don’t let me slip away…I need you here till the very end…so stay here with me.. Artigas Mari knew his wrists had to hurt despite his words. But she wouldn’t fight him on it. He was being strong...it was in his nature and she wouldn’t take that from him…because she would have acted the exact same way if she were in his position. She dropped her eyes to her waist seeing him touch her scarf. "That's another thing your warriors took from me, I'd like it back if you don't mind.” Mari smirked and brought her eyes back up to his. “Do you really think that wasn’t the first thing I took from them?” She said while pulling the Trishana scarf from the pocket in her dress. She slipped it into his free hand like she did all those years ago and smiled. She was happy that he not only kept it with him every day, but that he also wanted it back. Mari laughed softly at his words about many men. Artigas truly thought she was beautiful and lovely. She knew he cared for her, but he had to know that she took no interest in these men. She was happy with him and that was that. "How old is the girl now?" Mari sighed. “She’s 5…she was born shortly after you left actually.” She smiled gently. “Her mother died from childbirth so I offered to help her father early on. It gave me something to do while you were gone.” She smiled again thinking of all the time she and Louisa had spent together. Mari would always look out for her, even when she had her own children, Mari would still treat her as one of her own. A blush crept to her cheeks as she realized she was thinking about having children…and the only man she could think about doing that with was standing in her bedroom. "I'm glad as well, I fear that a life time spent without you would not be worth living.” Mari relaxed in his arms loving the feeling of his strong arms wrapped around her tiny frame. Feeling him kiss her head, she smiled against his chest. His words brought butterflies to her stomach. Their peaceful paradise was suddenly interrupted when she heard a knock at the door. She lifted her head from his chest and tried to see if she could hear voices from outside the door. She recognized her guards and pulled away from Artigas unwillingly. Walking to the door, Mari opened it and smiled seeing Stephen. He returned her smile and bowed his head. “Lady Mariahya” In his hands he held Artigas’ weapons. She sighed happily. Stephen was one of the few guards who respected her more then most. He would do anything for her. “Thank you, Stephen….I am forever grateful….as is Artigas.” She said softly. “Please remind the rest of the guards to not worry about checking in on me tonight…I will be well cared for.” She said, making every attempt to stop the blush that would soon be crawling up her cheeks. “Of course….goodnight.” He said bowing his head again and she returned the gesture before shutting and locking the door behind him. She turned to Artigas before putting his weapons by her door. “I told you they’d listen” She smirked and walked back towards her bed. Slipping off her shoes, she smoothed out her dress and smiled as the moonlight passed through her window illuminating her room even more now that the glowing branches were lit as well. She sat on the edge of her bed, her dress fanning out around her. She looked over at Artigas. He looked so stoic in his armor and amongst the moonlight. He looked just like he did 5 years ago when he found her in the forest…except now he was taller and older….but she knew that in there was the young boy she first fell in love with. She couldn't take her eyes off of him...

BY SKYLARK'S FOLLY AT ADOXOGRAPHY & CAUTION

[Artigas]

His eyes went instantly to the scarf as she pulled it from her pocket and as soon as he felt her press it into his hand, he felt as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Slipping it inside his armour to rest in its usual place, he smiled at Mariahya "Thank you" he muttered his thanks to the woman, the scarf had been the only thing he had of Mari's during those five years and to lose it now would be unbearable even if he did have her at his side now. The fact that it had been the first thing that she had taken from her guards pleased him, she'd recognised it as soon as she'd seen him and it had allowed her to reach him as quickly as possible. "I know it sounds weird, but to be without it after so long doesn't feel right" he told her as his hand patted the area where he'd hidden the scarf.

"How often do children lose their parents here?" he questioned her knowing that it was quite common in Trikru for a child to lose one or both of their parents, it was a sad fact of living in a clan that always seemed to be at war with someone. He wanted to know if it was different here or if it was somehow similar, he knew that Mari had not liked fighting last time he'd seen her and he wondered if Trishana were as involved in the current war as clans like Trikru and Azgeda were. Letting out a sigh Artigas couldn't help but pity the small girl, just five years old and without a mother, she hadn't even gotten a chance to know her mother. Complications in childbirth were not unheard of and they were just as tragic as any other loss of life, even more so as it deprives a child of their mother. "Girls need their mothers, it was good of you to volunteer to care for her and help her father" the warrior knew that it was another way for Mari to distract herself from his absence but he also knew that she cared for this child and probably always would. She was obviously the closest thing to a mother that Louisa had.

Hearing a knock on the door, Artigas looked up and watched the door intently as Mari pulled away from him and he was forced to drop his hands and release her. He watched as she crossed over to the door and spoke to whoever it was who'd disturbed them, from where he was standing he couldn't make out what was being said but he had no desire to eavesdrop anyway. As Mari closed the door behind whoever was there, probably one of her guards, Artigas' eyes went straight to the weapons that she held in her hands and he recognised them instantly. "Your warriors respect you more than I thought" he chuckled, he hadn't been completely convinced that they would return his weapons due to him being a man from a different clan. He respected them for being vigilant in their duty to protect the woman but he also hoped that one day soon they would realise that he had no intention of hurting her and never would.

"You have a beautiful home" he breathed as he looked around the room, the glow from the forest seemed to always be present and lit the room. Artigas never thought he'd be able to get over the beauty of Trishana territory. Watching as she sat on her bed and seemed to stare at him the warrior smirked, knowing what she was doing, often he found himself unable to look away from her himself. He walked slowly to stand in front of her, his hands going to softly touch her face as he looked into her eyes. Her beauty captivated him and he once again found himself wondering how she could have fallen for him when he was so unbearably average and possessed the many scars of a warrior.

Mariahya

[Mariahya]

Don’t let me slip away…I need you here till the very end…so stay here with me.. Artigas Mari smiled know he actually kept the scarf on his body and felt wrong when he didn’t have it with him. After all these years, a scarf would be what connected them….strange and yet beautiful. "How often do children lose their parents here?" Mari sighed. She knew the pain of these children as she too lost her father to the Mountain…but Artigas already knew that. “Too often…” She said looking at the door that Louisa left through some time ago. “The Mountain claims many when our people go out and search for supplies and now with the war…well unfortunately many have become orphans…” She said shaking her head and looking down at her hands. Hartley and her mother were her only family she had left. And every day she feared for Hartley…he was strong…and the Mountain would love to have him for whatever it was they did up there. She had seen the horrific “men” that had come back after being captured…Her people had crossed them once or twice. And she knew that Hartley would be exactly the kind they needed…and she couldn’t let him be taken. Mari let out a soft laugh at his words about her warriors. She lifted her eyes to his. “Just because they don’t agree with my way of fighting, doesn’t mean they don’t respect me. They know that Hartley would take care of them the second they disrespected me.” She smirked. “Besides, Stephen is one of the good ones…he grew up with me, trained with me for a while before he decided to focus solely on weapons training. He knows everything about every weapon…who uses what, what clan specializes in which..he’s good..and he respects me…I’d trust him with my life.” She said smiling. And she really would. Stephen was a powerful and very intelligent warrior…one who she knew would always be on her side. His words brought her eyes back to him again. “It’s something else, that’s for sure.” She said smiling. “It is much larger than my home was…but the leader before me insisted I move here despite my reluctance to want to stay with my mother. So I just made my room look like it always had.” She smirked again. “Young and playful.” She laughed softly. Mari saw a smirk creep onto Artigas’ face and she felt herself blush again. When he reached her bed and stood before her, she looked up at him. His hands touched her face and she closed her eyes to his touch. Mari opened her eyes and stood up, still just barely reaching his chest and kept her eyes on his. She started to slowly take off his armor. She knew he had some type of clothing beneath it so she wasn’t too worried. But she wanted him to be comfortable and relaxed in her home. Plus she wanted to feel his arms around her, not all the metal. When all of his armor was basically off, Mari smiled. Now she felt like this was her Artigas. Free from weapons, free from armor, free from war. It was just she and him. Nothing violent to separate them. She let her eyes run over his face and arms and clothed body and she smiled. He was hers and she his. It was the most beautiful feeling in the world. She looked back up at him, her bright eyes locked on his dark ones. A soft whispered plea escaped her lips… “Kiss me….”

BY SKYLARK'S FOLLY AT ADOXOGRAPHY & CAUTION

[Artigas]

Frowning as he realised that war had cost many children their parents in Trishana as well, he let out a heavy sigh. "I hoped things would be different here" he admitted to her knowing that she wanted peace and didn't believe in war and killing as some of the other clans did. Maybe he'd been foolish to think that anywhere was safe from the war the ravaged the land now, the peace that they once had, had been shattered with the arrival of Skaikru and it didn't look as though that peace would be returning any time soon. Too much blood had been spilt already "The mountain has always been a constant threat, that's nothing new" Artigas muttered, he'd been sure that by now they would have found a way to take down the mountain and end the days where their people were hunted by the monsters that the mountain men created. Now he was starting to believe that maybe the mountain would never fall and they'd always have to live glancing over their shoulders for fear of being snatched. "Do reapers venture far into your territory?" he questioned, taking this opportunity to learn more about the threats that this clan faced, he knew that in Trikru territory there was always a risk of running into the men that seemed to have lost their minds, but Trishana was further away from the mountain despite it still being within view.

He chuckled at her words, he'd never met her brother but from what he'd heard he didn't doubt that he wouldn't hesitate in correcting people if they questioned his sister or showed her any kind of disrespect. It was clear to him that she had some loyal warriors behind her, supporting her decisions and this pleased him. He'd never doubted her potential to become a great leader and now it seemed that she was. Raising an eyebrow as she spoke of a man named Stephen whom Artigas assumed was one of her warriors, he looked towards the door "You're fond of him?" he asked a playful smirk on his face "Careful... I might get jealous" teasing her the smirk remained on his face. Of course he wasn't worried, she said she hadn't looked at another man since she'd met him. He was eager to explore more of her land, sure that there was more that she could show him that would leave him speechless, but his curiosity could wait for now. Despite him telling himself to ask less questions, the mention of her mother brought another question bubbling to the surface of his mind "You visit her often? Your mother?" the last time he had seen her, she'd explained that she was travelling back to the village to be with her mother after her father had been taken by the mountain and he assumed that she was still a part of her life, she hadn't told him otherwise.

She stood up from the bed and piece by piece began to take off his armour, this at first confused the man. He wasn't used to taking off his armour until he was in the comfort of his own home, it felt weird to be without it in this strange place but he figured that this was home now and he'd have to get used to it. He had to admit that without his armour he felt lighter and could move more freely without it restricting his movement, but he also felt naked without it. Sure, he had clothes on beneath the armour but nothing that would offer much protection if he were to be attacked, not that he had anything to fear whilst in Mariahya's company, he was confident that she would not allow any of her warriors to harm him, especially after she seemed so upset to discover he'd already been injured on her land. Feeling her eyes on him, he shifted uncomfortably, aware that she'd only ever seen him when he was wearing some sort of armour, but this was him without the armour and he no longer looked like the warrior that he was. As her eyes locked with his, he found that he couldn't look away from her, a smile creeping onto his face as he heard the whisper of her voice. He was not one to deny a lady what she wanted and if he was completely honest, he wanted to hold her again, this time without his armour getting in the way. Leaning forwards he kissed her gently, wrapping his arms around her waist to hold her close to him, no one would think that a warrior such as himself could display such tenderness, but when he was with Mari, Artigas was no longer a warrior, he was just a man who was in love with a woman and when he was with her all thoughts of war evaporated from his mind.

Mariahya

[Mariahya]

Don’t let me slip away…I need you here till the very end…so stay here with me.. Artigas Mari had wished things would have been different by the time Artigas had found her again. She had hoped that the clans would have remained peaceful and stopped fighting. She had hoped that the mountain would have fallen and maybe….just maybe there would have been some slight chance that her father would have been returned to her. But she feared that at this rate, none of it would ever come true. If she and Artigas could be peaceful with each other and loving, why couldn’t everyone…but she knew that was much too good to be true. His question about the reapers brought chills to her spine. “Now more than they used to….I think they’re after Skaikru…But they only lurk on the very outskirts…our warriors hardly ever see them unless they’re protecting the boundary.” She hadn’t wanted her men to be taken so they rarely scouted the farthest boundary. She couldn’t lose any more of her people. At his words of Stephen, she tilted her head and smirked sarcastically. “Fond of Stephen?” She laughed softly. “Yes…you should be very…very jealous.” She stuck her tongue out playfully. She knew that he was well aware of her love for him and she would never love another man. She couldn’t. Artigas was it for her….she knew that. And she hoped that she was the only for him as well. Her mother….Mari hadn’t visted her for a few days now. “I visit her as often as I can…I haven’t visited her in a few days as we had been planning for an attack that turned out to be a false rumor….” She looked over at Atrigas…. “So maybe tomorrow you can meet her.” She smirked. Her mother, though she would be nervous of his clan, would love Artigas. She had no doubt about that. Mari loved how vulnerable and nervous Artigas got in front of her as she removed his armor. He was completely safe in her chambers and yet he was still shy. She watched as his smile grew at her words and she blushed knowing that he was going to fulfill her request. Her lips parted only barely as his came down on hers. She felt his arms wrap around her waist and she smiled into the kiss letting her arms snake around his neck trying to get as close to him as she could. She was still so short compared to him, but she just wanted to be in his arms forever. Mari leaned her small body into his and slowly started to deepen the kiss. The moon was now full and glowing into the room, decorating the two lovers with her white light. Mari had no intentions of pulling away any time soon….there was no one to interrupt them…and no reason to stop….

BY SKYLARK'S FOLLY AT ADOXOGRAPHY & CAUTION

[Artigas]

Artigas nodded along to her words as she spoke of the reapers, he understood her motives. He knew that she didn't want to endanger her people but he also knew that it was essential for her warriors to patrol the borders regularly so that they were not seen as weak by the other clans, if they displayed any sign of weakness during this time of war then another clan could easily take advantage. "You shouldn't leave your borders vulnerable just because of the threat that the reapers pose" he muttered, knowing that it was easy for him to say this. He didn't have the emotional bond that she had to her people, neither had he lost anyone to the mountain. The hard truth was that losing people was inevitable and trying to avoid it would probably just lead to more people losing their lives and he didn't want that for her people, he didn't want it for her. "If they're after Skaikru then maybe that will at least draw them away from taking our people for a while" he told her, hoping that his words were true and the reapers would leave the people of the clans alone for a while. He didn't know why they were after Skaikru, but he didn't care as long as his people were safe.

'Yes... you should be very... very jealous' hearing these words a chuckle escaped the man "Maybe I should be keeping an eye on your warriors, not the other way around" he muttered, he trusted her and knew that she wouldn't look at another man for as long as they were together, but he wasn't sure that he completely trusted her warriors. "You seem to win hearts without even trying, you definitely won mine when all I was looking to do was explore a little more of the world" the teasing tone was back in his voice as he remembered how he'd immediately called to the young girl who had been playing in a tree when he'd spotted her instead of doing the smart thing and retreating back to his own territory. Watching the smirk on her face as she spoke about her mother, the warrior swallowed nervously "Meet your mother?" he asked her, unsure with the idea "Are you sure that's wise?" he hadn't ever met any of her relatives, she was actually the only person from a rival clan that he'd met who had treated him with kindness. The prospect of meeting her mother was daunting, he couldn't control her reaction and he was doubtful that she'd approve of his relationship with her daughter, even if Mari said that she would, how could she? He was a warrior from a hostile clan, one that would probably waste no time in attacking Trishana if they got even the slightest idea that they were a threat.

As his lips met hers and he felt her instantly begin to kiss him back, he smiled through the kiss knowing that one simple action should not make him feel as elated as this one did. However he also knew that this display of affection also showed how much he cared for her and she cared for him. The sensation of holding her without his armour getting in the way seemed to make the action so much easier, he could feel the warmth of her body against his and his heart raced in time with hers, he could feel its rapid beating inside his chest and at any other time he would be embarrassed by the pace that it kept. Feeling her arms wrap around his neck as she deepened the kiss, he lifted her slightly so that the height difference between them did not get in the way and he was surprised by how light she felt in his arm although he figured that he shouldn't be seeing as how tiny she looked next to him. He had always been taller than her, but now the height difference was clearly noticeable between the couple.

Mariahya

[Mariahya]

Don’t let me slip away…I need you here till the very end…so stay here with me.. Artigas Mari knew he was right. As much as she wanted to protect her people, leaving her borders unattended could be worse for them. Her men were powerful…but she would always fear for their lives. She would put anyone in her clan before herself, no matter how they treated her. It was just in her nature. She hoped for all their sakes that Skaikru would be enough of a distraction for the reapers and give them time to strengthen their warriors and their borders. She could only hope that maybe they would stand a chance…she needed her people…besides Artigas, they were all she had to live for. Mari blushed at his words about winning hearts. She shook her head and looked at the ground. “I promise I don’t try…” She said softly and looked up at him through her eyelashes. She may have tried a little bit with Artigas….but no one else. He was worth trying for. She saw him get nervous at the mention of her mother. A soft laugh escaped her lips. “I promise she is harmless...” Mari smiled. “If Hartley can let you into my life because he knows I am happy with you, she’ll be a piece of cake. She doesn’t worry nearly as much as Hartley does.” Mari knew her mother would love Artigas. He was respectful and loved Mari…and her mother only wanted someone who would treat her like a queen. Artigas would do that. He may be different than her…but she loved him and that was the only thing that mattered to her. As Artigas kissed her, she smirked against his lips feeling him smiling. The fact that he was so happy with her only further fueled her desire for him. She could feel his heart beating as she pressed against him and she knew hers was certainly beating in time with his. Her heart would always match his…she knew that. Her heart was only his. Mari gasped when he suddenly picked her up to bring her up to his height. She laughed softly against his lips and slowly wrapped her legs around his waist, leaning into the kiss more now that she was the right height. She continued to let them kiss and suddenly a quiet soft moan escaped her lips. She felt a blush creep up to her cheeks and she broke the kiss to catch her breath, leaning her forehead against his. “Sorry…” She said quietly, looking down, but keeping her forehead on his, embarrassed by her sudden expression of desire. Her breathing was still quick. She was feeling things she had never felt before and she didn’t know what to do with them, how to react to them…everything was going to be first and new with Artigas….

BY SKYLARK'S FOLLY AT ADOXOGRAPHY & CAUTION

[Artigas]

'I promise I don't try' the moment the words left her mouth Artigas couldn't stop himself from chuckling lightly as she looked first down at the floor and then back up at him and he saw the light blush that coloured her cheeks. "I know" he muttered smiling down at her, he knew that he was the only man she wanted and she didn't look at anyone else. His smile quickly vanished as she spoke about her mother being harmless "You know, I find it hard to believe that your mother could be harmless" he told her, a small smirk appearing on his face. Mari was a talented warrior and so it was hard to think of the woman who had brought her into the world as harmless. "You don't know that your brother will be accepting of me, he could take one look at me and decide to use me for target practise" he wasn't sure what scared him more about the prospect of eventually meeting her family. The thought of not being accepted by them, or the fact that her brother was obviously a skilled warrior and fiercely protective of his sister.

As he heard her gasp as he picked her up, Artigas hesitated briefly until he heard the musical sound of her laughter and he felt her legs wrap around his waist. He repositioned his hands slowly to support her more as he held her, a chuckle escaping him as she leaned into the kiss more now that she was at the same height as him. It was still hard to believe that after five years of being apart that he was finally with her, finally able to hold her and to kiss her and to just look at her whenever he wanted to and he didn't think that he'd ever get tired of taking advantage of this.

Hearing a soft moan escape from the young woman that he held in his arms, the man froze as she broke the kiss and he felt her rest her forehead against his. His eyes locked with hers as she uttered the word 'sorry...' not understanding why she would be apologising he smiled at her "don't be" he muttered not wanting her to feel uncomfortable with displaying what she was feeling, he understood exactly how she felt.

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. Her mother truly was harmless. “She’s not a warrior…I promise…” She smiled. "I know she'll love you and if she doesn't the worst harm she can do is a glare and maybe refuse you food" She laughed again. It was cute to see Artigas so worried about meeting her family. She knew Hartley could still pose a potential threat but she would make him see how much Artigas cared for her and she for him. “He may be a great warrior….but so am I. If he even tries to hurt you, Hartley knows he would have to fight me…and everything he knows, I know and I know even more now…he wouldn’t stand a chance.” Mari smirked and winked at him. It was true. Hartley taught her everything she knows, but she also learned more from others. By watching them, training with them, just listening to them. She learned so much. She was worried her legs around his waist may have been too much, but when she felt his arms secure around her once she did so, she smiled knowing it was okay. She heard his laugh, and instantly felt herself melt in his embrace. His laugh would always be something she wanted to hear no matter where or what they were doing. It brought her peace and comfort. Mari smiled looking away from him when she heard him say “Don’t be.” She didn’t want to scare him off with what she was feeling. She turned her gaze back to him, “It’s just…I’ve never…I mean…You are…” She was blushing. She took a deep breath and tried again, keeping her eyes on his. “I’ve never felt like this with any other man before. No one has ever cared for me the way you do. No one has ever kissed me the way you do. And no one has ever loved me the way you do.” She ran her finger over his lips, tracing them gently. She loved how he kissed her. It was supernatural feeling. “I don’t know what to do with these feelings or how to react because I’ve never had them…” She said quietly, her bright eyes innocent and shy. She had only ever kissed a man, one mainly because of Hartley. But two, she had never felt a connection with a man strong enough to do anything else. But she and Artigas had something so much more than just a connection. There was love and laughter and hope. They had love for each other and hope for their people. That only fueled their desires for each other. She only hoped that his words wouldn’t scare him away. She wouldn’t know what she would do if they did.

BY SKYLARK'S FOLLY AT ADOXOGRAPHY & CAUTION

[Artigas]

Her own laugh brought a small chuckle from his lips "You think that's any less terrifying? The thought of having to sit through a night of intense glares on an empty stomach really isn't appealing believe it or not" he thought that his anxiety surrounding the idea of meeting her family was completely natural. There was nothing wrong with being afraid of meeting her family when her brother seemed to be a skilled warrior. "I guess I'll just need to trust that you'll protect me" he muttered only partially joking, he definitely didn't want to fight her brother. That would probably prove to painful in more ways than one and she seemed fairly comfortable with the idea of introducing them to each other so he wasn't too concerned, he'd just have to get used to the idea. "I don't think it would be fair of me to ask you to fight your own brother" chuckling slightly he brought a hand up to her face. No, he could never ask that of her.

He found himself smiling as she seemed to trip over her words, not meeting his gaze as a blush crept onto her cheeks, "this is all new for me too" he breathed as she raised her eyes back to look at him. Closing his eyes briefly as she traced his lips with her finger, he lowered his hand again to get a better grip on her to eliminate the risk of dropping her. That would just be perfect, wouldn't it? The perfect way to ruin the moment with his clumsiness. His eyes flickered open again as he leaned forwards, resting his forehead against hers "we can learn together" he found it cute that she seemed to be so nervous when she'd just been talking about how she was a skilled warrior capable of defeating her older brother in a fight.

"I love you Mariahya" he told her with a breathy sigh, he'd never felt this way about anyone before. He loved people, he cared for people that were in his life, but he'd never felt love on this level before. These feelings were worrying for him, having not experienced them before but he didn't want them to go away either, he liked the way he felt about her and he didn't want the love that he felt for her to go away even if the emotions that he was feeling were strange and new.

Mariahya

[Mariahya]

Don’t let me slip away…I need you here till the very end…so stay here with me.. Artigas Mari smirked to herself. She knew that Artigas could never let her fight for him, but she knew that Hatrley would never fight the man she loved unless she was in trouble. And she knew that Artigas would never hurt her…at least not intentionally. As for her mother, she wasn’t worried. Her mom was a loving woman…probably where Mari got hers from. She taught Mari how to play and how to be kind. She would love Artigas without a doubt. Mari’s heart was happy at the thought of him meeting her family. She was equally nervous to one day have to meet his family…or the worse thought was never being able to meet them because of their clans’ differences. "This is all new for me too.” Mari bit her lip gently. She had expected Artigas to have maybe gotten involved with another woman while they were apart…or at least try to move on from her. But he didn’t. He had never been with anyone else which means he had never been with anyone ever. She was going to be his first at everything and that excited and terrified her all at the same time. She was new to a lot of things too…but she wanted nothing more than for Artigas to be the man she discovered them with. Mari smiled seeing him close his eyes at her touch. She loved watching him react to her. Every move she made and every touch he reacted and it was all because of her. She helped readjust in his arms as he moved his hands under her. Feeling his forehead on hers, she brought her eyes to his. "We can learn together.” She smiled and nodded her head slowly. She would love to discover everything about him alongside him finding everything out about her. She wanted to know everything about him. She wanted to understand him mentally and physically. And she knew that he felt the same way. "I love you Mariahya" Her heart stopped. She felt her eyes freeze on his. She had never even thought about uttering those words to a man…except Artigas. She had never had feelings like this for another man…except Artigas. She had never even wanted to love another man…except Artigas. She loved him. And she needed to say it. No. She wanted to say it. She breathed softly and smiled, “I love you Artigas.” She felt her heart start beating quickly. Even though he had said it first, she still said it tentatively afraid that it was all a dream. “I love you so much….” She said and leaned forward, letting her lips meet his again in a fervent kiss, not wanting to waste any of the precious time she had with him.

BY SKYLARK'S FOLLY AT ADOXOGRAPHY & CAUTION