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Post by Artigas on May 26, 2016 17:27:24 GMT
When he heard her say that she wasn't going to give up for what had to be the hundredth time, the boy offered her a small reassuring smile. "I know you won't" he muttered, helping to support her body weight so that she could remain standing easily. He didn't know how much blood a person could lose before their body began to shut down, but Klara had lost a lot of blood, too much for him to be comfortable with and it made him more anxious to get back to Tondc as quickly as possible. As he heard her tell him to go first and she'd follow, he immediately started to shake his head "I'm not leaving you" his tone of voice made it clear that he didn't want her to argue further, she was weak from blood loss and he doubted her ability to make it to the tunnel on her own, he would not be responsible for her death.
Artigas was just adjusting his grip on his sword when he heard Klara's idea. His brow furrowed as he tried to think about this idea. It could work, but there was also a possibility that it could go wrong and he didn't know if he was prepared to take that risk. However, there was also a chance that if he didn't go with her plan that the Azgeda warriors would see them making their escape anyway and alert the rest of the camp. "Okay... I'll try to distract them" he told her as he released his hold on her to crouch and scoop up the stones that lay on the floor. Edging slowly forward, stones in hand he carefully threw the pebbles in the direction of the tarpaulin and watched as they skittered across the floor. The Azgeda warriors became suddenly alert at the sound and looked in the direction that Artigas had thrown the stones, slowly the boy retreated so that he was sure that he was out of their view before watching to see if they would fool for the trick.
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Post by Artigas on May 18, 2016 20:16:22 GMT
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
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Post by Artigas on May 15, 2016 11:22:05 GMT
'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
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Post by Artigas on May 13, 2016 8:49:38 GMT
The boy didn't like how Klara's eyes kept closing as if she was fighting to stay awake, it worried him that she was becoming so weak "We're almost home, we just need to be clear of this camp and then we'll get back to Tondc in no time" he assured her, knowing that in her weakened state that every step she took would be a struggle. Taking her hands in his, he examined the wounds on her wrists again, they obviously weren't getting any better, neither did he expect them to. He quickly ripped a strip of fabric from her shirt, shooting her an apologetic look but not really caring that he was ruining her clothes. He tied the fabric around one of her wrists as best as he could before repeating the action for her other wrist. He'd seen this done before and hoped that it would at least slow the flow of blood and buy them some more time.
As she started to struggle to her feet, Artigas quickly pulled her up, supporting most of her weight as he held her up. He knew that she'd slow their progress considerably as they made their escape, but he was still unwilling to leave her to the mercy of Azgeda. "We're going to have to make a run for it to the tunnel, are you up for that?" he asked her, knowing that even with him supporting her that Klara barely had the strength the stand, let alone sprint all the way over to the tunnel that she had spotted. However, he also knew that if they waited much longer then the rest of Klara's strength would fade and he'd be forced to carry her to safety and he didn't know how long he'd be able to keep up a steady pace with the added weight of the girl in his arms.
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Post by Artigas on May 12, 2016 11:22:58 GMT
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
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Post by Artigas on May 11, 2016 10:01:26 GMT
Artigas turned around to see Klara sliding down the wall until she was sitting on the ground, hurrying to crouch beside his companion he reached a hand up to touch her forehead and he frowned with concern as she seemed to be getting warmer. "Klara... You need to stay awake" he told her, knowing that she was getting weaker and as her strength faded she'd feel more like falling asleep. He'd seen his father work often enough to know when somebody was beyond the point in which they could be saved and Klara had not yet passed this point yet. His brow furrowed in confusion as the woman tried to speak but no sound escaped her, watching as she raised an arm to point, he turned to search for what had caught her attention. It took him a while to pinpoint the tunnel entrance as it was partially hidden from view but when he spotted it a smile appeared on his face.
"That's brilliant Klara!" he breathed, hope returning to the boy, he wasn't sure where the tunnel led but he had to assume that it was a tunnel used in emergences to evacuate the camp. Anyway, it was better to take their chances following a tunnel than to wait around to be discovered by hostile Azgeda warriors. "Can you walk?" he asked Klara with a whisper, he knew that she looked weak and was barely able to keep her eyes open and so he was doubtful that she could still stand, let alone walk but he would carry her if he needed to. Leaving her behind after everything she had done for him was not an option, not an option he could live with at least. Many times it had been drilled into him that sacrifices in war had to be made, not everybody could be saved and he had to be prepared to leave people behind if by doing so he had the chance to save more lives. By leaving Klara, he would have a better chance at returning to Tondc and warning everyone there of the Azgeda warriors that were in their territory, but he found that he was unable to leave her behind knowing the brutality of the Ice Nation. He didn't know what they would do to her if she was still alive when they discovered her, but he knew that they were capable of unthinkable things.
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Post by Artigas on May 11, 2016 8:57:37 GMT
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
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Post by Artigas on May 10, 2016 10:05:33 GMT
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.
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Post by Artigas on May 9, 2016 17:15:35 GMT
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.
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Post by Artigas on May 9, 2016 11:23:44 GMT
He heard her try to reassure him that it wasn't his fault but he knew that it was, a warrior could not afford to make mistakes, a single mistake could cost them their lives and his mistake could cost him Klara's and he never wanted to be responsible for the death of one of his people. He knew that she was right and it could've happened to anyone, but it didn't, it happened to him and he had to deal with the consequences of this mistake "I don't need you to try to make me feel better" he snapped at her, irritated with her for even trying. She meant well, he knew that but he also knew that her injuries were on him and it was down to him to try and get her out of the Azgeda camp without obtaining any further injuries.
Nodding as she told him that she'd stay close to him, he picked up the pace, making sure to stop every so often so that they would not be discovered. He heard voices nearby as he glanced around the corner of the building that they were now hiding behind "Three warriors..." he muttered, hesitating as he thought about what their next move should be, he wasn't interested in wasting time but at the same time he knew that charging out from their hiding place to confront three warriors was a bad idea. Especially with Klara's injuries, not only would the warriors overpower them but they'd probably alert the rest of the camp of their escape.
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Post by Artigas on May 9, 2016 9:12:36 GMT
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
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Post by Artigas on May 8, 2016 22:49:18 GMT
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
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Post by Artigas on May 7, 2016 11:08:17 GMT
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
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Post by Artigas on May 7, 2016 0:03:17 GMT
"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 |
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Post by Artigas on May 6, 2016 9:42:32 GMT
Artigas shot a glare at the scout, she obviously didn't know him well if she thought he could not worry about her "A warrior protects his people" he grunted, it was his duty to protect his people, especially those that could not defend themselves. Klara was a part of his clan, she was his people and he had a duty to get her back to their village safely. He'd gotten them into this mess, if he'd just watched where he was placing his feet and hadn't stepped on that twig then they would never have been discovered and they would already be back within the safety of Tondc. It was his fault that Klara was hurt and he knew that he would be an unworthy warrior if he didn't try to save her.
Nodding his head to the girl, knowing that their escape depended upon his ability to get them out of the camp unnoticed and his ability to fight off those that did notice them. He hoped that everything went according to plan because he knew that they only had one shot at this and if they failed then they would die within that camp at the hands of Azgeda warriors. As he broke into a quick jog, sword in his hand as he kept to the shadows he glanced over his shoulder to make sure that Klara was following him.
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