Men who play games of war and soldiers born from circumstance...
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A clawed hand rises up to touch at his face, the white haired man sighing as the exhaustion begins to set in again. “This… will be a long journey if we are unable to find a replacement for myself in that creature’s eyes.” He says as he pulls his hand down just enough to allow his mismatched gaze to meet Kso’ppghiel’s. “Forgive me for this, Harbinger… it was not my intention to get caught when it was chasing us, I was… concerned for your safety and fell behind.” A small smile graces the blonde’s lips. “I am no longer that woman’s Harbinger… I belong to you now, just as you are no longer her Captain.” He shakes his head. “There is nothing to forgive, if you were not worth saving then you would not be here now. It wanted you… but I want you more.” He muses. “You will simply have to return the favor at a later time. I am sure this will not be the only obstacle we will have to endure.” With a smile, the white haired man takes a step forward and touches at layered locks of light blonde, his tone thoughtful. “Life without obstacles and challenges runs the risk of becoming stale…” tracing down, claw tips travel beneath Kso’ppghiel’s jaw as a smile forms on his lips. “and I have a feeling, if this is any indication whatsoever, that both you and I will never need worry about staleness setting in. In fact,” he muses as he leans in to touch his lips to the others, speaking quietly directly within. “you may find yourself wishing for peace at some point or another should it be filled with days such as these.” A smirk forms on the blonde’s lips moments before their mouths meet for a soft kiss that neither seems willing to give up anytime soon. [We have agreed to your terms] the creature’s voice pulls both men’s attentions away from one another and Bal’thial frowns as he slides back enough to meet glowing eyes with his own. [I will return when the light is in the sky. We wish to find our companion as quickly as possible.] in a blink of an eye the shadowy figure is gone again and as the Captain straightens, he shakes his head just a little. “Well… that settles that.” He says. “I suppose then if we are to travel the moment day breaks, we should find rest. I am unsure how well I will fair without it after what the other did…” The blonde nods, extending his hand and allowing Bal’thial to enter the tent before him as white eyes glance around quickly to make sure they are safe before entering himself. He moves in behind the taller man once he has entered, reaching forward to part white braids and remove the Captain’s bloodied tunic as he traces along his spine, leaning forward as he speaks into warm skin. “Tomorrow I should be able to heal you further, I have exhausted what I am capable of today. I cannot make up for true rest, but I can keep you functioning.” He removes his own tunic, laying down on the fur pelt covering the tent’s floor and pulling the white haired man with him to hold him close. Red stained strands of white pool around the blonde’s body as Bal’thial slides himself across his broad frame to straddle him soon after. Clawed fingers come to rest at both sides of Kso’ppghiel’s head and he leans in as hands wrap around his hips, motioning to touch full lips to the other. A smile forms on the Captain’s mouth when the Harbinger leans up in an attempt to complete the kiss, mismatched eyes near sparkling in the flickering light dancing just outside of the tent’s entrance as he pulls back enough to deny him. “I do appreciate that I am at the very least… functioning.” Brushing his lips against the blonde’s, he whispers. “And seeing as we will soon have ourselves traveling companions for however long this task will take us to complete… it might be best for me to show my thanks now…” a sly grin spreads across the mouth of the one below, pupiless white eyes locked with his gaze moments before he grips down on the taller man’s hips and pulls his back free of the soft pelt that lies beneath them, their lips crashing together for a kiss filled with fire that rivals the flame flickering outside…
 Maintaining his hold on it, he locates his torn tunic in the dark soon after and metal adornments chime softly as he slips it over his broad frame in order to move quietly out into the night waiting beyond. Heavy steps carry the white haired man towards the river, the crisp water biting at warm skin when he steps in and he pays it no mind as he wades out until it reaches his knees. Squatting down to fill the skin, he takes little time to pull the water up to his mouth and drink the moment it reaches the top. Again and again he repeats this, the seemingly unending thirst barely quenched no matter how many times he empties the leather itself. Before long he’s barely able to catch his breath and he forces himself to stop, dropping the skin to his side along with his head while his heavy breathing spills into the night air, a clawed hand rising up to cup his face soon after. Something isn’t right… he’s parched, more so than he’s ever been in his life. The water is offering him no relief, as if it hasn’t touched his throat at all. “If you come back with me…” the creature’s voice startles the Captain, water splashing around him as he whips around to find himself staring at a dark haired woman standing just at the forest’s threshold behind. “It will stop.” She smiles slyly, dark pupiless eyes locking with mismatched blue and green. He knows this creature, her voice… it is the same as the one who had taken the guise of his former Queen before. “What…” he starts, working to catch his breath as the thirst threatens to overtake him. “What have you done to me?” “I desire a mate.” She says simply, immobile from the place in which she stands beyond the water’s reach. “We will find you one, it was agree-“ “I do not want another.” The woman frowns “You saw beyond the eyes. You are strong. I want you.” “As I have stated…” Bal’thial’s eyes narrow and he straightens, turning to face her. “I am not interested.” “You will be. It will not stop until you mate with me.” She smirks moments before she fades completely from view to leave the tall man standing partially submerged beneath the river’s edge. Mismatched eyes fall down to the gently flowing water, the desire to sink below the surface in hopes to drown out the dryness he feels suddenly so strong that he has to close heavy lids and force his body into stillness to prevent himself from doing it. A few long, near agonizing moments later he reopens his eyes, allowing his head to fall back so that he can stare at the star littered sky up above with a quiet sigh. So now it is resorting to this despite the arrangement of terms that were already agreed to. It will make this journey more difficult, especially if he is to endure without letting on that anything is wrong with him at all… The clawed fingers of his free hand travel up to touch at his faintly bruised throat and he swallows hard before a smirk forms on his lips. It is not the worst of what he has endured in the past and while a continued thirst that feels to be growing with every passing second will be an inconvenience, he is in hopes that the smaller creature is right in that the woman will forget when they find another and that she will free him of this once they do. Kso’ppghiel wakes slowly, clawed fingers reaching out to his side, looking for the Captain and cracking white eyes open when he doesn’t find him there. He sits up, grabbing a pelt and wrapping it around his waist as he exits the tent and walks towards the river’s edge where the white haired man is half-submerged. The blonde is about to speak when he realizes Bal’thial is looking down at the water strangely. “What is wrong?” Pulling his gaze away from the liquid he’s finding himself longing to drown in, a tired smile forms on the taller man’s lips. “I… was thirsty and the skin was dry.” Lifting the filled leather up, he motions towards it with a nodding of his head that sends the chime of metal adornments echoing softly throughout before he lowers it back down to his side. He swallows hard in an attempt to clear the dryness in his throat and his gaze drops back towards the surrounding river, taking a moment to collect himself before continuing “I feel I might have expended too much of myself in there too soon.” Blue and green eyes pull away from the river once more, the Captain’s gaze rising up to meet white as a teasing smile forms on his lips and his tone light despite the turmoil he’s currently hiding inside. “You may be forced to take special care of me a little longer because of it…” The two spend a moment in silence as Kso’ppghiel weighs the Captain’s expression versus his words. Something wasn't right but if Bal’thial does not want to tell him, he can’t push him to do so. Whatever it is, he hopes it wasn't something done by the creature. He extends his hand, motioning for the white haired man to join him. “We must be leaving soon, we need to cover as much ground as possible while it is light. Has the girl shown herself yet?” The taller man has to force himself free of the water and he moves towards the other man’s extended hand, speaking as he goes. “She has not… but the other has.” A look of reserved surprise forms on the Harbinger’s face as Bal’thial steps completely free of the river, the taller man’s hand soon sliding against his own as he steps in close. “She chose a different form than that of my former Queen… a more… grown version of the younger one I would suppose…” the Captain’s words trail and mismatched eyes fall to Kso’ppghiel’s lips. The dryness in his throat is becoming unbearable and before he can even think to stop his own movements he leans down to kiss the one he holds. It isn’t enough and soon he drops the filled skin in his hand, slipping both up immediately after to thread clawed fingers into strands of light colored hair as the hungry kiss deepens. Turning the blonde around, the white haired man backs the Harbinger up against the nearest tree, only managing to break enough to whisper a short ‘forgive me’ before he’s leaning in again to claim his mouth once more. Kso’ppghiel grabs the Captain’s hands, forcing him to stop and holding the white haired man just out of reach as he looks at him strangely. “What did she do to you? This is not from your wounds.” The blonde continues to hold Bal’thial back from what appears to be a desperate need beyond normal. He calls out to the empty forest around them. “Child! This was not part of the agreement. We will go beyond her reach if this does not stop.” He pulls the other man close to him protectively. “This must stop. What has happened?” Mismatched eyes close, the taller man’s head dropping down towards the Harbinger’s shoulder and his entire body shaking softly while in Kso’ppghiel’s protective grasp. It’s taking everything he has to keep still, everything he has to keep from bolting back into the river so he can drown his thirst. “Not enough…” he whispers desperately against the blonde’s skin. “I need water.” [I am attempting to change what she has done.] the smaller creature’s voice pulls the Harbinger’s attentions but Bal’thial remains as he is, his heavy breathing almost lost in the silence that accompanies a set of glowing eyes. [Do not be angry. It was not my doing…] Kso’ppghiel bares his fangs in anger. “She will kill him. He will not relent to whatever she has done. He will not mate with her. The only thing she will succeed in doing is driving us and any chance at finding a willing mate away. You will be unable to continue on, all because of her selfishness. She will need to understand that by killing him, she is killing your kind as well.” Worry replaces the anger as his eyes shift to the one in his arms, his voice sliding into a whisper. “Please… I cannot lose him.” [I am trying, but she is stronger when the light is gone from the sky.] the creature says simply as her eyes shift to the struggling figure in the Harbinger’s arms. [You are strong. You must endure until the light returns. When she is below I will be able to undo what has been done.] before either man can reply, the shadowy figure fades again from view and leaves them alone once again. A soft bout of strained laughter spills against the blonde’s shoulder, the taller man’s strained words spoken through gritted teeth. “Dawn… feels as if it is an eternity away despite the hours…” the smile fades from full lips as he lifts his head away, mismatched eyes meeting white in the darkness. “If you do not restrain me until day breaks Kso’ppghiel… I fear I am going to drown myself. This thirst is unbearable and it is taking everything in me not to tear myself free of your arms and swallow the entire contents of the river to quell it.” “This is madness.” The blonde scoffs as he holds tighter against the one in his arms. “I do not want to help something so determined on killing you. I do not like being forced into situations, let alone those that threaten the one I love.” Kso’ppghiel pulls the Captain’s face to his, their lips close. “You will endure. When dawn breaks it will be done, then there will be new rules if help is expected. This cannot continue.” His lips meet Bal’thial’s as he pushes the taller man back towards the tent. “I will keep you distracted…” Clawed hands are rising to thread into strands of white blonde even as he’s being led blindly back towards the tent that awaits them behind, the desperation in the Captain’s movements as their lips meet time and time again growing in intensity with every step taken. “I would rather drown in your presence instead of the river’s…” he says in between the small breaks each man manages even as they slide past the threshold, the white haired man yanking Kso’ppghiel down onto the waiting furs. “So while I am enduring this pain, I would have you distract in any way possible…”
 As the sun slowly peaks through the horizon, a flicker of shadow moves past the tent’s entrance and the blonde rises, already aware of who it is before he exits. He voice comes out quietly as he sits down in front of the tent, staring out into the river. “She needs to understand what she is doing. It is hurting her in the end… I will not risk him if she continues.” “She is angry with me because she does not understand.” The small girl says as she stares at the one before her, her dark eyes fixed on his stationary figure. “I want to continue just as she wants to continue. She does not understand that he is your companion because you are male and you cannot continue together. She has not seen what I have seen. She has not spoken. But I will protect him from her until we find another. What was done during the night will not be done again.” “If it does…” White eyes flick up to meet the pupiless dark of a child that has experienced far more than her physical age reveals. “Then we will leave and move beyond her reach. We will never return.” The words almost pain him. Not returning may mean he will never see his family’s graves again. “I understand this is not of your doing and I thank you for your help in keeping her back as well as your own understanding of us. I wish it were not necessary in the first place. I will wake him soon then we may leave.” Kso’ppghiel does not wait for an answer as he rises, walking towards the tree where Bal’thial had dropped the water skin hours before. He dumps the remaining contents before refilling it with water from the river and returning to the tent, settling down beside the sleeping Captain. A clawed hand travels along messy strands of white as the Harbinger carefully brushes layered bangs away from the taller man’s closed lids. The movements work to pull Bal’thial from the labored sleep he’d found and slowly mismatched eyes find their ways open, cracking enough to meet pupiless white through a hazy blanket of exhaustion. “I feel…” he whispers hoarsely without making any movements to rise. “… as if I have been left in the desert sands of Queen Io’fayl’s territories for far too long…” “The feeling should pass soon. The child has stated it has been taken care of.” He hands the full skin to Bal’thial who practically rips it out of his hand to engulf the contents. “I have stated that any further indiscretion on that creature’s part will result in us moving beyond her reach permanently. I will not risk you, even if it means I can never see my family again.” Kso’ppghiel looks towards the growing light outside. “We will need to leave soon.” Mismatched eyes narrow and the white haired man lowers the near empty skin, sliding the back of his hand up to wipe at the liquid still at his lips. “I will not allow anything to keep you from your family’s graves…” his words pull the Harbinger’s white gaze to meet his and he smiles a little bitterly. “Not even myself. Though…” he slides his hand up to touch at his lightly bruised neck. “…the thirst is not as it was so perhaps there is hope… for both they and ourselves that no drastic measures will have to be carried out.” Sighing softly, a smirk forms on his lips and he allows his eyes to close briefly. “This… is tiresome and I am in need of true rest and healing…” reopening his eyes, blue and green shift up to meet Kso’ppghiel’s gaze and he smiles just slightly. “If you have it in you to remedy at least one of these wants after this past night then I will not argue.” The blonde smiles slightly as he moves towards Bal’thial, clawed tipped fingers gently grasping into his jawline and pushing the Captain’s head aside to expose his still bruised neck. Full lips trace along the warm skin of the taller man’s throat as he whispers a healing spell directly against his flesh, lingering for a moment before pulling away slowly. “Over the next few days I should have you healed fully, the rest I cannot do much about as long as we are accompanied by these creatures.” A clawed hand slips up to touch at the other man’s jaw as a smile forms on the Captain’s lips. “Rest is something we can attain once this task is completed, until then what you have done will sustain me…” tracing down along to the line of Kso’ppghiel’s chin, the white haired man pulls his hand away a moment later and moves to rise up onto his feet. “That is if I am not killed or injured beyond repair by a creature who has trouble taking ‘no’ for an answer…” he smirks before locating his haphazardly strewn clothing and retrieving it. Separating the pieces of stained and torn cloth, he smiles as he dresses when the Harbinger steps up behind him to touch in crimson tinted braids. Looping the leather ties to his pants together, he reaches back and wraps his hand around the other man’s wrist, turning as he pulls that same clawed hand up to his lips. “I look forward to when our company once again consists of only two.” “As do I.” Kso’ppghiel smiles as he gathers his things and exits the tent to begin packing their belongings and strapping them to the horses that decided to find themselves further down the river since the creature showed. Both men mount their horses once they’ve situated themselves and the blonde looks around for a sign of either creature. “Child, we are about to leave. I would feel better knowing where you both are as we travel.” He vaguely wonders if these creatures have names so he knows what to call them. Dark pupiless eyes catch white as the small girl appears at the Harbinger’s side, a smile forming on her lips before she lifts tiny hands up and motions to be taken as both work to calm their steeds when they threaten to bolt at her presence. “It is easiest if you allow me to ride with you.” She states while waiting patiently for Kso’ppghiel to pull her up. The Captain’s mismatched gaze lock with his, both men exchanging reserved looks before Bal’thial nods his reluctant approval. Sliding to the side and down without allowing the reigns free and lifts the girl up and to his front. The moment she comes to rest before him, the animal begins to fuss and she reaches out before her to touch her palm to the back of the mare’s head, instantly calming her down. “Impressive…” the white haired man says quietly as her gaze shifts towards him, “Now where is the other?” She spends a moment staring at the taller man before dark eyes slide up, her head falling back until she meets the blonde’s eyes. “She will travel beneath him. She does not want to lose sight.” “She will need to be present when we find others. They will need to be able to judge for themselves if she is someone they are interested in.” Kso’ppghiel looks down at the girl. “If she hurts him or tries to take him, the deal is off, we will leave. I wish no ill towards you personally, but you understand why I must say this…” she nods and a moment later, he kicks his horse into motion right behind Bal’thial, keeping a careful watch over the white haired man at all times as they begin to move further and further away from their original destination. “There is another small river less than a day’s ride to the west, we will stop there at night to provide protection. We may or may not come across a clan this far in still. If there is anything you will need along the way, let me know. I do not know if you eat… I do not even know your name.” “I cannot pronounce it in terms you would understand.” The girl says, sliding her head back to stare up at the blonde’s jaw while they twist through the surrounding forest. “If you were our companion, you would ‘see’ my name and understand but it is not easy to speak out loud…” the girl’s head slides back down and she stares at the back of the Captain’s head while he continues on, the shadows beneath his horse’s feet thicker by far than any that surround. “I… would like to share this with you. I would like you to be our companion as well. I would like him to agree so that you will stay with us too… but I understand that he is yours and you are his. I hope that our new companion will be like you both so that I will not have to miss you like she will miss him.” Kso’ppghiel smiles slightly. The child reminds him of his sister in some ways, she even takes a form that is about the same age as E’nerii was when she died. The smile leaves him a second later, perhaps it’s done on purpose. The other can take on any form it wishes and even went into Bal’thial’s head to extract his memories of that woman to then present its self to him as such. Perhaps this one has been in his head and had determined if it presents its self similar to his sister, he will trust her more. The blonde doesn’t know what to believe anymore. His words are quiet as he speaks, not taking his eyes off the one to their fronts. “It… cannot be, I am sorry. I do hope the companion you find will be good to you and that you will feel the same towards him as well.” “We felt comfortable with our last.” She says as her own eyes remain at the hooves of the animal the tall Captain rides and the shadows that pool beneath it. “And we were angry when he was stolen from us. But I do not think we felt towards him the way you feel towards your mate. I wish to feel this way and I wish you to teach me this so that I may show you my name… I do not think another will be the same.” Dark pupiless eyes slide up to meet a gaze that still remains locked on the man at their fronts. “She has said that you and he did not appear to be compatible. She has said that you fought. She chose the other because they did not fight. She chose her because they had mated and he enjoyed it. Why have you both chosen one another when you have fought and cannot continue on together?” “We fought in the beginning…” White eyes narrow at the swirling shadows that continue to loom beneath Bal’thial’s horse. “Because I knew no other way. The ones I loved were also taken from me. I had spent a long time alone, fighting myself in that fact, also very angry. This man changed everything for me. I had never desired another before, I did not even realize I had desired him. I am not sure he realized it either for a time. While I did not enjoy the circumstance that brought us together, I would not be the same without him. He makes me happy. He is the only one who could have broken the spell that hate and anger clouded me with over the years. He risked everything to free me. She is right, he is very strong, but he makes his own path, it will not be chosen for him.” He smirks. “As for why he has chosen to abandon everything he has spent the past thirty years working at for me… you would have to ask him. But I am glad he did.” The small girl smiles with a nod. “I will ask him because I wish to know. He is strong, but you are strong as well. We did not know that you and he were not the same as the others. We did not ask and only tried to take like they took from us. I wish that we had asked because then you and he would stay. She wants him to stay very much. She wants to show him her name, I wish for the same with you but… I understand and will not take. I will continue to protect him for you until you find us another.” Her words trail momentarily as the shadows beneath the Captain’s horse seem to darken and the animal falters briefly up ahead. Bal’thial pulls back on the reigns as he attempts to calm the one he rides, mismatched eyes sliding back to meet both dark and light, the feeling he’s had of the other’s presence since the night before suddenly taking hold. Deep black eyes narrow and a moment later the shadows below subside, his steed calming as fast as it had acted up. “Do not worry.” The girl smiles soon after. “I am stronger when the light is in the sky.” “It is when the light is gone from the sky that I worry.” Kso’ppghiel’s voice is low and uneasy. “You said the river would help protect us, yet she was still able to harm him. If it had continued, he may have died. She does not seem to understand that he will die before allowing himself to be taken, no matter what she does. If he dies, I will risk my own life destroying her.” The blonde only hopes they are able to find a clan soon, he cannot stand to watch as that creature repeatedly tries to take what is his. “Know this child,” the white haired man says as he pulls his horse back and comes to a brief halt when he catches the tail end of the Harbinger’s words. “I will keep to my promise and rip the other apart with my bare hands before I would allow him to risk himself further simply because she does not seem to understand that I will not ever agree to mate.” Dark eyes pull away from the blonde and shift up ahead as they draw closer, the seriousness in Bal’thial’s tone dangerously clear and beneath his mare’s feet, the shadows shift as well. “Her tactic to gain my person last night was in no way amusing, and if either of you truly wish to ‘continue on’ as you have stated, there will be no more such stunts or I will end this venture the way those villagers ended your male.” Blue and green eyes slide down towards the pooled darkness twisting along the ground and narrow. “Understood?” The girl’s pupiless dark gaze travels down to stare at the shifting mass beneath the Captain’s horse, the small figure silent for a moment before her eyes slide back up. “We… understand.” Her words pull Bal’thial’s gaze briefly up to meet white before the taller man yanks back on the reigns to steer his horse back to their fronts, a soft kick sending the steed trotting up ahead. “She… felt fear at his words.” The girl says quietly. “But it is also why she likes him. He would protect us if he were our companion because he is strong. She believes this. But you are also strong. You would protect us as well because you both protect each other. I believe this. But…” dark eyes slide up towards the man up above. “I do not believe there is room for us between you and that makes me sad. I would like for our new companion to feel about us the way you feel about each other.” “I will protect my mate with my life, without hesitation.” He brings a clawed hand up to rest on the girl’s shoulder, her skin surprisingly cold to the touch. “But this applies to him and no other. There are other strong men out there, others who would provide what you need willingly, we simply have to find them.” Kso’ppghiel doesn’t know how many ways he can say the same thing but he is beginning to understand these creatures exist on a more primal level. He feels pity for the younger one, it is actually making an effort to understand, be considerate even, but the older one he is unsure will be able to stop fixating on Bal’thial until they are far from her focus. A smile forms on the girl’s lips and she simply nods, sinking further back against the Harbinger’s body in a subtle contentment that’s clear in her small features that anyone with eyes would see.
 The river just beyond the tent is loud and roaring, nowhere near the quiet brook they’d left downstream. Mismatched eyes remain closed to his surroundings as he sits back against the furs lining the ground below with a leg crossed and an arm draped over his upturned knee, the partially healed injuries that riddle the tall man’s body and lack of rest to recoup from them beginning to take its toll. A slow smile forms on his lips when he feels Kso’ppghiel’s mouth slide in close from behind and soon after the quiet stream of magic slips into the air while the Harbinger skims the line of a fading purple bruise. “We have passed well beyond the boundaries of that village and unless word has carried up this far, we will hopefully find ourselves in contact with a mercenary clan sometime soon…” metal adornments that cap winding horns chime softly as Bal’thial drops his head just a little to allow the other man in closer. “Though it appears that just as the other has taken to me, you have yourself your own admirer… it may be more difficult to find them what they wish when neither truly wishes to move beyond us…” Kso’ppghiel smiles a little. “I have made very clear to her that there is no other that holds my heart beyond you. She wants what we have with her own companion. I believe she understands that it will never be you or myself that will fulfill that role. It does not, however, stop a young girl from wishful thinking.” He muses before his smile fades partially. “But you need rest. The younger one said a stronger flow of water should provide you with more protection. I am hopeful this will keep the creature from trying anything tonight. It seems despite my warnings, it does not want to understand.” The blonde’s lips resume dragging across the warm skin of Bal’thial’s neck, pulling the Captain back to lean against him. Metal chimes as he turns his head to the side, allowing the Harbinger to keep him close as mismatched eyes close. A long leg slides down as strong arms wrap around the taller man’s broad frame, Bal’thial’s words quiet and spoken without him ever reopening his eyes. “The only rest I will find tonight will be in your arms… my Harbinger.” A smile forms on the blonde’s lips and he hugs the other man closer, full lips touching at the junction where shoulder meets neck even as the Captain’s breathing begins to slow, soon signaling that he’s slipped off into sleep. Pupiless white eyes rise up the instant a set of glowing orbs catch his, the mass of shadow moving softly at the tent’s threshold but not beyond. [Do not blame her… she does what she does for our sake. So that we may continue.] the smaller creature says softly. [We are lonely. She wishes to come closer so that she will not be lonely anymore but cannot because of the water. She wants to speak with you and she hopes you will go to her so that she may...] White eyes narrow before he glances back down at the one in his arms. “I do not trust her. I do not trust that she will not use our separation as an opportunity to either take him or hurt me. She has done nothing so far that would make me think otherwise. If I were to go to her, how would I know that neither of us would be in any danger?” The small mass of shadow shifts briefly, as if blown by a soft wind before the creature speaks again [I will protect you and he both. I wish her to understand but she will not unless you show her as you have shown me…] Glowing eyes slide over to move across the sleeping man’s features before rising again to meet pupiless white. [Please… I cannot explain to her in the same way. I have tried.] The blonde doesn’t like this. He doesn’t like being separated from Bal’thial in the presence of either of these creatures. While the younger one has done nothing but try to help them, he still does not fully trust. White eyes sweep over the Captain’s features once more before he carefully sets the taller man down against the fur pelts below them. “I will go only far enough to speak, but I will not leave the protection of the river. If he is not as I left him when I return, I will kill her.” Kso’ppghiel reluctantly exits the tent, sparing one last glance at its occupant before walking around the side, placing himself between the sleeping Captain and the woods where a dark looming shadow waits for him. The blonde folds his arms and seats himself down in front of the tent. “Speak.” The shadowed figure shimmers briefly before taking shape and before long a tall, dark haired, dark eyed beauty stands at the wooded area’s threshold. The woman’s deep eyed gaze locks with white and she spends a moment sizing the larger man up before she decides to speak. “Why do you wish to find us another when you are capable of becoming our companion alone? She has says she would accept you and I have agreed. Would this not be easier for you both?” black eyes narrow in the slightest. “She has said that you are in need of him as he is with you but this does not make sense. You are both male. You are not suited for one another as we would be suited for each other.” “Neither of us wish to be companions with anyone other than each other.” Kso’ppghiel begins with a sigh, feeling as if his whole speech has been rehearsed many times. “We do not care that we are unable to produce offspring, that is not why we are together. We are together out of love. The feelings you felt for your previous companion, the hurt you felt when he was taken from you, this is how I feel for him and how I would feel if he were taken from me. He is my mate and I will defend him just as he will defend me. We wish for no other.” He shakes his head. “It is not as simple for us as you claim it. I desired no one before him. It does not matter if we are both male. I am sorry your companion was taken from you, we would have willingly helped to find you another if you had only asked, but you did what they did, you tried to take my mate. What makes you think I would not come back for him? All I see is you constantly looming over my companion, trying to take him, trying to force him to comply when he has very clearly stated he does not wish it. Would you stand for that if this was done to your previous companion? Did you not destroy those who harmed him? Do you not see the parallel?” The woman says nothing at first as she works to ingest all that the blonde has said, her expression shifting into a contemplation that had not been there before. “I do not wish to steal your companion the way they have stolen ours but…” she says quietly after a few moments longer. “It is difficult to understand. We are lonely without our companion and our companion was male. He desired us and we him. We wish to desire another and yours saw beyond the eyes. I will not lie, I desire him still; I wish to mate with him still. But she has told me why he fights and now… you say the same so I will not take if it hurts you in the way that they hurt us.” “Thank you…” He says with some measure of relief. “For at least trying to understand. I do not wish for you to be lonely, which is why we are trying to help. We cannot help if he is constantly in danger of you taking him against his will. Hurting one of us hurts us both. I want to help you find someone that will desire you in return just as your previous companion has. Just as you would choose who you are coupled with, he also has that choice. There are many strong men in this world, many who would be able to see beyond the eyes and would choose to become your companion, to protect you and mate with you just as your previous one did. You need to give us a chance to help you.” Kso’ppghiel shakes his head. “I am not upset you desire him, you are not the first. I am upset you would try and take him against his will and force him to do something he does not wish. He will die before being forced and if he did…” White eyes stare unflinchingly into the dark before him. “Just as you did, I would go after those which hurt my companion and I would destroy them. It would not be the first time.” “I do understand and we desire a companion so I will not take as I have said. We wish for your help.” The woman nods at the Harbinger’s words before a look of question crosses her features. “But… your companion is strong; he would not die like the others. He fought me and would not come even when I took the water from his throat. I am confused then… if I am not the first, then he has been hurt before? Have there been others that you have destroyed? Does this not tire you?” “I have not destroyed others because of him before, but I have destroyed others because my family was taken from me. I loved them just as I love him and I would do no less for him.” Kso’ppghiel turns his gaze back towards the tent and it’s occupant for a moment. “This life will probably continue to be rough for us both.” He turns back. “I will do what I have to in order to keep him safe. He is worth the trouble and being tired is not an option for me.” “You… are a good companion.” The woman says quietly as her gaze moves away from the Harbinger’s and towards the tall Captain resting inside the tent behind him, “And he is to you. I should have chosen your face when I took him…” dark eyes slide back to meet white for a moment before she fades from view.
It had already been in his head, and judging from the way the younger looking one seems to have taken to Kso’ppghiel, he has no doubt the other has been in his as well. A fact of which he hates because he has nothing to fight the invasions, no means to ensure it stops and he’s not sure which of these breaches- his or the Harbinger’s bothers him more. He dislikes the way the other seems to be manipulating the blonde, luring him in with a false sense of innocence while the older continues to come at him. The younger one appears to be helping and her understanding of their relationship also appears to be genuine as well, but it feels…wrong. As if just like their forms, it’s all illusion… He wants this over and he can only hope they happen upon a clan- one that won’t recognize him and attempt to collect a price he can only assume is grand for his head, so that they can get these creature’s attentions focused in on someone other than themselves. “Do you not feel the cold?” the young girl’s voice pulls his thoughts away and without turning, mismatched eyes slide back to meet dark orbs. “Your hand… is it not cold?” “I am surprised you understand what cold is.” Bal’thial smirks softly as he finally lifts clawed fingers free of the water, straightening himself soon after as the young girl steps up to his side. “Our companions start as yourselves. We understand the concept.” She says as her dark gaze slides up to the tall man who continues to look out at the rushing water. “He has told me I should ask you and so I will. I am interested as to why you have sacrificed much of your life and chosen him.” A look of reserve crosses the white haired man’s features and he pulls blue and green eyes away from the river and shifts them down to meet her gaze. “You have been speaking much it seems…” “We have.” She answers simply. Bal’thial quirks an eyebrow before a smirk forms on his lips, his eyes slipping back up towards the flowing water and strong arms crossing just beneath his chest. “…There is no real simple answer for it, in all truth.” “I do not require simple, I would like to know.” He supposes that in telling her, it might actually get the pair to understand further that he will not be taken from Kso’ppghiel any more than Kso’ppghiel will be taken from him. It takes the tall man a moment or two to weigh out the benefits in speaking with this creature before he narrows his eyes and reluctantly begins. “There are many reasons. The first being that I feel for him like I have felt for no other in my life…” “It is a strong emotion?” she wonders. “Strong… is an understatement…” the Captain smirks. “I have been with many in my life, seen many, met many, served under many and commanded many more…” his voice drops a little low as he continues “…not one has ever been able to bring about the range of emotion in me that Kso’ppghiel has. His heart is strong and there is a rare purity to him that most in our line of work cannot uphold. I desire him as I have desired no other and I would sacrifice everything for him without a moment’s thought…” a smile forms on full lips and mismatched eyes slide down to meet the girl’s deep gaze. “I also did not want to see him die, so leaving the life I had led to that point behind in order to prevent it had not been a question in my mind.” The young girl stares up at Bal’thial for a few moments before she nods. “He has said that he was glad you did… and I find that I am glad as well...” Kso’ppghiel emerges slowly from the tent, somewhat surprised to see the younger creature conversing with Bal’thial. Though it should not surprise him as he had mentioned she should talk with him if she wanted to know why the Captain had given up his life for the blonde. He is curious of the answer if he did indeed give her one. He was also glad to find that once he had returned from the conversation he had with the older creature last night, the white haired man was both present and intact. His bare feet pad up to the river’s edge pulling Bal’thial’s attention from the young girl as clawed fingers reach out to run along the Captain’s adorned horns. “Did you manage sleep?” Blue and green eyes slip back to meet white, a slight sort of smile forming on full lips. “Enough to continue.” He says before uncrossing his arms and turning around, reaching out a moment later to wrap a clawed hand around the other man’s hip and pull him close while paying no mind to the child like figure that still stands at their sides. The young girl stares up at the pair for a moment, dark eyes narrowing at the tall Captain’s words and the lie she knows him to have told as far as his rest is concerned. The white haired male confuses her, moreso than the blonde. His words and his actions do not meet up on many superficial levels, yet on other deeper ones they surpass. You are attempting to show him your name. Her thoughts reach out to her other half soon after, the shadows at the forest’s edge deepening when they touch. I will achieve it. Deep pools shift away from the two and back behind, focusing in where she knows her counter to be. You know this will hurt him when he has not mated. Do not continue or they will not help us find another. He is different… they both are different. It will not hurt him, you will see. I know you wish to show the other yours as well and you may. I will accept him because I know they will not be parted. We will not have to find another if we keep them both and neither will be hurt if they remain together. The girl’s pupiless black gaze slides away from the forest and back up to rest on the blonde, neither men catching her shifts while they continue to converse and the girl finding her needs and wants suddenly torn. “I think I am enjoying your care far more than I should.” Bal’thial teases lightly as his other hand slips up to brush away messy strands of white blonde from the Harbinger’s eyes. “Thirty years of service did not spoil me to the fineries of a privileged life and yet a few days in your arms and I crave more.” Kso’ppghiel smiles. “Then once our task is complete we may have to find lodging in a wealthy town where we can be spoiled for days on end before continuing. A week of nothing sounds very promising.” White eyes look out over the river, in the direction of the rising sun as his claw tipped fingers play absently in white braids. “However we must pack and begin on our way once more.” The blonde turns towards the small girl behind them. “The chances that we will come across at least one clan today are very good. We are moving into mercenary territory which flanks the bigger armies.” “This is also where it becomes dangerous for me.” The taller man says as he slides his hand away from Kso’ppghiel’s hip and turns to move back towards the tent. “Knowing my former Queen as I do, I have little doubt the price for my head is high. We will have to approach with caution. Many up here care little for the intrigues of the ruling warlords… but they can be bought if the amount is high enough.” The small girl watches as the white haired man begins to pull the tent apart before her gaze shifts back to the blonde. “I do not understand.” The Harbinger moves to help Bal’thial as he begins packing up their things. “The territory we escaped is ruled by a woman who would not take kindly to someone exiting her service without her permission. Especially when one of those was her right hand for many decades. There is probably a reward for the capture and retrieval of him, if not myself as well. There are those who would like to cash in on this but it is a long trip back to her lands, it may not be worth the trouble for them if we can offer gold in return to take their minds off the reward. We would normally not be traveling this way, but it is the best way to find a potential mate for you.” “So they would steal from you as the others stole from us?” the girl wonders as she moves towards both men and Kso’ppghiel nods a quick nod when the tall Captain turns to strap the furs to his steed after a short look is exchanged, causing her to frown. “We would not allow this.” She continues soon after. “We wish to find a mate, but we will protect you both so that they will not steal what is yours.” The blonde exchanges an amused glance with Bal’thial. It was rather cute that she thought they needed their protection. “We… appreciate the concern. Hopefully it will not be necessary.” Both men make short work of packing their things before mounting their horses and setting out on another day’s ride. They move along side-by-side for a while, the young girl maintaining her place once again to the Harbinger’s front, looking highly content. White eyes catch mismatched blue and green. “How far do you think your old clan would be from here? If you felt comfortable with them, then perhaps there might be some strong enough and willing to take on the other as a mate.” “We had normally traveled between the borders frequently, a little farther north. Those were our ‘territories’ if you can call them that” Bal’thial answers with a nodding of his head before his mismatched gaze slides back up to the front. “If the one that took over after our General died is who I had assumed it would be, then so long as we start moving to the west, we might happen upon them before any others. It has been a long time… but I am doubtful things amongst them would have changed much.” Bal’thial’s gaze slides back over to meet white and he smirks. “We were a stubborn lot.” “If you are any indication…” Kso’ppghiel smirks. “Then we probably should try and head that way, it would put one thing behind us for a while. I know you had been interested in seeing them again and while it may not be in the planned order, it will do. Afterwards we can visit the Mastersmith’s son and then hopefully my family.” The Captain nods and they turn off to the west, the blonde falling back behind once more as the creature’s shadow looms under Bal’thial’s horse. “Tell me of this female that your companion served…” the young girl says quietly, breaking the silence and pulling white eyes away from the man up ahead and down to meet dark. “He said that he did not wish to see you die and this… amongst many other reasons was why he left. But when she took that female’s face, she saw that they had mated and that they both enjoyed it. Were they not companions before you and he became so?” “Not… exactly.” Kso’ppghiel really would prefer not to discuss that woman ever again, especially with some strange creature. It only makes him angry for situations he cannot change. “He served under her, she would couple with whomever she wanted, they were not mates. That woman attempted to couple with myself several times as well. I am unaware how many successes she has had, as they were not voluntary. She has no companions. Beyond this, I wish that woman a slow death by my own hand. There is no more I can say of her.” The young girl nods as her dark eyes stay locked on the horse up at front and the shifting mass of shadow beneath its hooves. “I am still confused as to why they would couple if they were not mates or companions, just as I am curious to know what was done with you as well… but I will not ask if you do not wish it.” Bal’thial slows his horse in the slightest, mismatched eyes shifting up towards the sky. The movement causes a sharp pang to streak through his head and he winces briefly before turning his gaze back to the Harbinger and the young looking girl that are behind. The pain he’s beginning to feel is becoming incessant, what started as a light fluttering has rapidly progressed to something more blaring, as if he has the tip of a weapon stuck just behind his eyes. It is most likely happening from his lack of true rest and he’s beginning to hope that they will find signs of his old clan sooner than later so that they can rid themselves of their burdens quickly. He doesn’t like how…comfortable the younger one seems to be getting with the other man and the sooner they can find both creatures their replacements, the better it will be for them all. “Rain.” The tall Captain says when white eyes catch his and he motions quickly towards the sky with his head, an action that causes another streak of pain to pierce behind his lids. The young girl’s gaze narrows in the slightest and falls towards the ground, a motion that goes un-noticed by both Bal’thial and Kso’ppghiel as he continues to speak. “I can feel another storm coming and if we are to find suitable shelter near the river during the night, this pace will not achieve it.” The blonde nods. “Then we will hurry.”
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