Spark in the Icy heart of Night (closed Knightlyone)

This is a beginners roleplay for me. My partner Knightlyone has experience. It is closed to comments but feel free to pm either of us with questions or suggestions. This story will have an end, just not sure how long it will take to get there.

My character is...surprise Ice Princess. Don't confuse her with me. I am her less nice cousin. All of this is fiction, any resemblance to persons living or dead is coincidental and unintentional. If you ask nicely I may give you a cameo. Just know you will be wearing a red shirt .

Our story is not yet written, we have just started so the dialogue may push us in directions we may not have thought about. Our plan is to write a few times a week, it may be more or less. I will let my partner intrroduce himself and then we will submit the few scenes we have written. Enjoy,

Well, Icy seems to of summed everything up quite nicely. I've been doing all kinds of RP for a long time now, but this is relatively new to me, but I'm excited to try, and maybe learn something new. Hopefully we all have a good time, and if you have any critiques, they are more than welcome. Take care y'all.

"Restless" was the word wandering through her mind, setting her teeth on edge and spoiling a perfect afternoon. Going from room to room, admiring all her treasures usually gave her satisfaction, she felt accomplished and in control, but not today. She stopped for a moment to look around her largest trophy room. Her eyes focused on the walls, oblivious to everything else, searching for cracks or insidious holes but she saw nothing. She walked to the nearest one and placed her hand upon it. The rough surface of the ice would cut anyone else to shreds but to her it felt smooth.

"Well almost anyone" she heard whispered.

Any bystander in the room would think she had just pulled a magic trick. One moment her hand was on the wall at the far side of the room and the next she was standing in the middle. Every inch of her trophy room, floor and ceiling included, was riddled with daggers of ice. As she moved from one wall to the next, the 5" slivers of death protruding from the floor, were drawn to her. Each one disappearing, melding into her as she passed and leaving the frozen floor as perfect as when she had walked in.

Satisfied that the structure of the room held no threats, she turned her attention to what it held. Part pride and part wariness as she examined each one. Peering into the spaces that once held eyes, mouths open in eternal screams for some and others just looked resigned, knowing they were destined to fail but also knowing there was no other choice. In their last moments, she had known each man more intimately than he had known himself. In death, the same held true. She knew each crease, every fold, the different shades of their skin, even each hair on their bodies were counted. She had given them more love, more care in the seconds it took to end their lives then they could have ever wished for and now, even in death, her love for them continued.

Her eyes never tired of the beauty each one held. Each life she took was precious to her and the now empty vessels were treated no differently. Usually she took her time, gliding her fingers over frozen curves, her tongue examining the hollows of the eyes, the lips, searching for the memory of life she had taken but today was not a day for casual pleasures. Today something was wrong and she needed to find the source, to destroy the reason for her discomfort. Her lips, full but pale, parted as her essense slipped out. The frozen mist knew each man as well as the Ice Primcess had and though it gave no weight to concepts of love or life, it was as efficient in finding any changes in them as it was in taking their lives. Almost as soon as it had left her lips, the essence returned to them, slipping past her tongue to a destination unknown. As it passed her lips, it gave the Ice Princess the news she already knew. All 108 trophy's were accounted for and not even a hair was missing, everyone was exactly as they had been when she added her first trophy, more than 800 years ago.

He stood on the hill top, looking at the distant fortress. He could feel her, even after this long. He hand idle rubbed the satchel attached to his heavy leather belt, right next his sword. For countless years he had sought and fought for this great treasure, and now that it was his, he returned to a world much changed, to claim what was rightfully his.

Breaking his revelry with a shake of his head, he returned to the present. The Arctic winds blew powerless against him. The black links over his wool clothes should of done little against the bitter could, but he remained firm. The power inside him shielded him, no matter how the wind blew. His eyes were dark with the storms within, and the storms without feared those eyes.

And so he approached the fortresses of Ice, like a storm looming over the land. The memories rose, flashes from lives lived long ago, fueling those storms within. And now more then 800 years of crusading was over. He had found her.

She didn't bother checking her other rooms, her unease was growing and she knew it wasn't a threat from inside. She started towards the draw bridge and hesitated. There was a feeling stirring in her, something she had not felt in so long. She couldn't put a name to it, but it made her pause and doubt herself.

Sudden anger consumed her. Burning deep inside and dousing whatever feeling she had. She strod to the draw bridge and it opened quickly, almost as if it knew the Ice Princess was in no mood for waiting today. Not that she ever was. Her castle was her home as well as her prison and every part of it was an extension of herself. Over the ages, as she spent more time with the men who came to claim her, the hold she had on her surroundings lessened. She learned that her iron control over everything wasn't needed and her castle could still function and see to her needs without her direct commands. The bridge closed silently behind her and waited. She was the only one it would open for and like everything else, it existed to obey.

Outside the air was just as cold as it was inside and she surveyed the landscape. Her eyes swept over the camps of men, huddled together, fires bright to ward off the cold. A small smile touched her lips as she noticed the cold, frosty breaths with each exhale. Ice Princess had no warm breaths to exhale and the air around her was crystal clear.

They had all noticed the draw bridge open but no one looked over. She was early, their eyes all indicated to each other. Confusion, aprehension and fear shown bright but were all quickly doused with despair. It was her game and only she made the rules.

The tension was felt and shared by all of them. Pretending normalcy was the routine. Each man hoped today was not his day to meet her, more silent encouragement as each man acknowledged the others in his group. Yet in their hearts, their unspoken hope was much different.

Rumors, fairy tales and myths, no one knew the truth. They each just knew that the sacrifices they made spared the women and children in their villages. When males came of age they were all taken on a short journey where they would be tested by the village elder. Years before it had always been a male, but even the elderly were sent to the Ice Princess. Now the female villge elder instructed the young males. Manners, strength, character, each male was tested to find the best and brightest. The methods of choosing varied from village to village but each hope was the same. This child, just of age, would be the one to stop her. He would be the one to save them all. Each elder spoke of the honor in being chosen, each held the pain of sending the chosen one to certain death. Everyone knew, but they all played their part. Sons and daughters alike saw their fathers leave, never to return. Sisters in turn lived through the sadness of losing brothers as well. In the beginning this death cycle, every village sending one male during their specified month, may have been a cause for more torment to them. Sisters, mother's and wives may have protested more, may have even refused but the lesson the Ice Princess taught the lone village that sent no one, was never forgotten.

She knew their fears, she knew their hopes. Each man pretended to not notice, pretended that this day was no different than any other. She knew the dark desire none of them would ever speak. Each village that sent their "champions" would be sorely disappointed if they could see into their hearts. These men, each of them tasked to save their villages, their families, they all had the same wish, they each wanted Ice Princess to choose him. They didn't care if they succeeded or not, they just wanted the chance to see her. She laughed at this. Her voice carried over the almost frozen waters that circled her castle and separated them from her. The frozen landscape beyond picked up her laughter and amplified it, changed it. The sound surrounded the men, whispered to them lies about love and pleasures of the flesh, that even the elderly were not immune to. Almost as one they all turned to her, fear forgotten and only desire showing. Her laughter had not tempered her anger and seeing all these worthless mortals look upon her, wanting something they would never have, overwhelmed her with disgust. She wanted to destroy them all. Pierce their flesh with her blades of ice, watch as they bled to death, each made to realize that she needed none of them, they would never succeed and their sacrifces accomplished nothing.

Just like her "magic trick" before of skewering everything with her blades she decided all these men deserved no better.

"Look upon me one last time worthless mortals. You shall never take anything from me" she whispered with venom, exhaling her cold essence to draw the final life out of each one of them.

Her eyes were suddenly drawn to the distant hilltop, barren and cold, no man ever came from that direction. The sun was low, it wasn't yet dusk but the deep orange cast a shadow that looked like blood running down to the valley. She had no preference for day or night, they were equally meaningless to her and blood didn't matter unless she was the one spilling it. Yet the sight of the shadow on the hill made her stop. Her murderous rage, for the moment, was forgotten. This was it. This was the threat she had sensed. She turned towards the hill and waited.

From his vantage point, he could see the drawbridge lower and rise again. He could see the encampment too, that made him smile. He had heard rumors during his travels of what she was doing, and if he hoped that if he arrived in time, he would be able to recruit a new army.

In the years of his wondering, he was drawn to the carnage of war, and had gathered a large mercenary army. They had suffered a number of casualties in his latest ... quest. He wouldn't of stopped had they all died. Not with what was at stake. Those that remained were camped at the bottom, awaiting his return.

He continued to press forward, the setting sun watching him, the muted metal of his armor absorbing what little warmth the sun had to give. He welcomed it, but did not fear the darkness. The energy coursing through him, would keep him strong through the night. Nothing can stop the storm.

The sun was now completely hidden and the pale light of the half moon lit up the hillside. Visions of blood were gone and the hillside once again returned to it's former barren landscape. He crested the hilltop, the moon making him appear as no more than a shadow. "It could be anyone" Ice Princess thought but the reality was that she knew. As the figure rode slowly down the hill towards her, the moonlight changed him from just a shadow to a figure with substance, form and then a man.

She looked away from him towards the encampment of men, giving him no more regard than any other mortal suitor. He was not a complete stranger to her but she would not give him the satisfaction of recognition.

Her eyes roved over each of the men waiting to be chosen, but saw none of them. Her thoughts were on the man, now revealed as a dark knight and why he was here. Her mind brought forth broken pieces of memories for answers. Memories she had not thought of in hundreds of years and just before she dismissed these thoughts, his name came to her,

"Galrik"

she whispred and she found herself in a momentary trance as more broken pieces of her past assaulted her.

She felt heartache, betrayal, uncontrollable anger, all emotions without context. The past was a wall she couldn't breach, not that she was trying but she wondered why feelings should be a part of her memories and how those were connected to him. He was too near now for her to dwell on what she didn't know, so she pushed those away and brought forth memories of a more recent sighting.

----

The battlefield was drenched in blood, men lay dying or dead and the harmony of the cries from the dying filled her ears. She wanted to stop and listen, to watch the broken chests as they heaved their final breaths, but time was running out and she need to return to her home. She was among the trees now, the death cries little more than whispers when she turned for a final look at the slaughter. A few of the knights stood among the dead, their swords putting a quick end to the pain and suffering of their enemies. "Curious" she thought, "ending the suffering" and she wondered why the enemies of the remaining knights deserved such mercy. Weary of trying to figure out the motivations of men, she turned away and as she did so, heard one of the knights boom

"Greetings Galrik! Just in time for the ending".

Another rattled death cry as sword met heart and then Ice Princess was out of hearing range. The few moments she witnessed of life and death already forgotten.

Two more battle encounters she had witnessed and both of these Galrik had been in attendance as well, Other knights had called his name, wishing him well, laughing over the dead with him and his response had always matched theirs. She had studied him during the third battle, having had more time than before and she was impressed by the ferocity of his attacks. Heads severed cleanly from necks, eyes gouged out as swords drove deep into flesh, knees sliced open, extremeties hacked off, most with swords still in hand. He showed none of the mercy she had previously witnessed and she looked upon him more intently.

She began to wonder if he would make a good trophy, when he turned towards the sun and seemed to stare directly at her. Anger flared instantly at his bravado and she almost killed him where he stood. Before she could open her mouth to let her essence have its way, she was struck with the knowledge that she knew him. As unreal as this thought was, she didn't dismiss it immediately. Returning his stare she asked him to remove his helmet. It was barely a whisper from her but the wind would carry her message to him. He stood staring a moment longer then turned from her and walked away. Never having found a mortal who was completely immune to her suggestions she hesitated a few moments to consider what it meant before letting her daggers of ice find flesh. The resulting hush was absolute, not even a whimper could be heard and Ice Princess thought she had left Galrik among the corpses.

---

Yet here he was now, very alive and moving towards her at a rapid pace. She turned now to face him, the time for pretense was past. Showing no emotion and staring without blinking she watched as he approached her.