More Than expected: (Closed Thread)

[BlondeAmbition4RP]

“You know, I could think of worse things than to cuddle with such a beautiful elven woman,”

Glancing sideways at him as he spoke, Celaena caught the small twitch of Taurean's lips and smiled slightly in response with amusement.

"You know that I meant the river and not what came after," she chided before adverting her eyes again and finishing dressing.

When he commented that they were out of food and mentioned the fight the night before she gave a little sigh.

"Yes, it was a rather good meal. It's a shame it went to waste due to the likes of them. The sheets at that inn were horribly scratchy, but at least their cook seemed to know what they were doing," she commented, "Perhaps we'll find something in the wood that will make due."

 

[The_gladiator]

Was his smile a smirk for just a moment? “What, you didn’t like me carrying you through a drainage system? that was an impressive fireball, and don’t forget the waterfall. I played all the hits.” He said sarcastically with a dry laugh.

“That inn always had good food, their ladies of the night weren’t terrible if I recall correctly, I mean not that I make a habit of utilizing their services,” he said quickly, “But you hear stories.” He waved his hand dismissally.

 

[BlondeAmbition4RP]

A small smile reappeared at the sound of his laugh, her eyebrow arching with skepticism as he tried to wave away his remark about the 'ladies' of the inn where she had been staying.

"Of course. I'm sure your knowledge of their services is entirely hearsay," she commented dryly as she slipped first one dainty foot and then the other into her boots and then bent over at the waist to reach down, tightening and tying up their laces before rising once more and glancing over to him as she moved towards the entrance of the cave.

"Ready?"

 

[The_gladiator]

“Yes, definitely hearsay,” he said with a slight dry chuckle again. He let his eyes roam freely over her bottom as she bent down. He appreciated what he saw.

“Give me a moment to recover from such a wonderful view,” he said teasing her as he moved to the entrance and lead her back towards the rumble of the waterfall.

This time he was much more aware of her hand in his as he guided her across the slippery rocks. He had held it last time, but this time, he felt like it was a hand he actually knew. It was a hand he did not want to let go, to be completely truthful.

He gently let her go when they were on dry land. “Can you look around, tell me if you spot our boat. I wonder if it’s intact. I will look for tracks. Do not go far,” he advised.

 

[BlondeAmbition4RP]

Celeana had given a little eye roll at Taurean's remark of the 'view' she had give him, but the small smile that she tried to hide showed that she wasn't truly offended by it, the smile growing when he took her hand in his and lead her over the rocks as he'd done before, though like with him the gesture seemed to have more significance to her now than it had before. She gave a little nod in response to his instructions.

"I'll stick close to the falls," she promised, then touched his arm softly in parting as she added, "Be careful."

Then she turned and began to follow the water's edge, eyes scanning for a spot where the boat or its remnants may have gotten lodged after its decent over the falls.

 

[The_gladiator]

He nodded to her word of warning. As he went to step away, he called her back to him. He produced her twin daggers that he had recovered from the thief that had been carrying her. He handed them to her wordlessly, she would recognize the trust in her he was showing, it made sense for her to have them again.

As he stepped away again, he strung the short bow that had likewise survived the trials. The string had mostly dried out overnight, which was good. As he moved, his eyes searched. He went to the path around the falls, down it’s side. He figured she could spot any tracks in the soft mud around the pool.

His search revealed a story of people tracking down the cliff in the night, one dead body of someone who had clearly fallen. Taurean searched the pockets of the fallen man for any clues, finding only a dagger and a flint and steel that were worth taking. He shoved the dagger through his belt and continued on.

He decided to return to her, now that he had evidence that people had been here recently.

 

[BlondeAmbition4RP]

Celaena had been caught off guard when Taurean had held out her daggers to return them to her. She had not even realized that he'd had them all this time, thinking that she had lost them during the fight at the inn when she'd lost consciousness just outside the door or her room and been carried away. She stared at him dumbstruck, truly touched by the gesture as he handed them to her without comment. Not only had he thought to save them back then, but she recognized the trust in her that he was conveying by giving them to her now.

She gave a nod of thanks as he parted ways with her, heading the opposite direction as her and towards the side of the falls as she went and searched the edge of the pool. She searched the reeds and rocks along the edge, searching for signs of their boat and spotting more than one pair of footsteps that had been left in the soft mud, no doubt left by their pursuers the night before in search of them.

Eventually she found the boat, or at least what was left of it: broken boards and fragments caught and floating among the reeds along the far edge of the waters. It must have hit the rocks on the way down. With a small sigh, she turned and went to rejoin with Taurean.

 

[The_gladiator]

As Celaena turned away from the fragments of the shattered boat to seek out Taurean, the half-elf was there behind her. “That looks exceedingly useful to us,” he commented dryly, summing up what she’d found with a single sarcastic sentence.

He readjusted the pack and checked the string on the bow. “Guess we walk, for now.” After saying that he was off, walking down the river, assuming she would follow.

“Find anything else of note?” he asked after they had walked in silence for a few moments.

 

[BlondeAmbition4RP]

As Celaena turned and unexpectedly found Taurean standing behind her she tensed in response, her hands tightening upon her daggers for a second before she relaxed and put them away, smirking a bit with amusement at his dry comment about the boat.

"You are exceptionally light footed," she commented as she began to follow him down the river.

Given his size and build compared to a full-blooded elf she had not been expecting him to be so silent, though she realized now how foolish an assumption that had been considering his reputation as an assassin.

"A couple of boot tracks within the mud along the banks of the pool that joined with one another and then headed East," she added in answer to his question about what else she had found.

 

[The_gladiator]

Taurean snorted at her comment, “What sort of an assassin would I be if I stomped around like an orc?” he asked.

“East hmm?” he mused. The river wound its way to the southwest, they were on the eastern bank. “Away from the river. The tracks I saw followed the river’s course. They must have split up, not sure which way we went. Though without tracks why they would think we would have left the river.”

He seemed to ponder as he stepped up and onto a massive fallen tree trunk. He reached down to her without thinking about it, a gesture clearly meant to assist her up. “I’m going to guess the weasel is leading the group on the river, which means that’s the group I wish to follow.” He paused and then thought to add clarification, “He’s the one who darted you. He’s a slippery bastard, but he’s far from stupid. The wizard Grendel also tipped his hand last night,” He was clearly referring to the fireball, “He could be leading the other group, but my guess is he’s with The Weasel also.” It was about time he started sharing information with her, even if it still sounded like he was doing so a bit reluctantly.

 

[BlondeAmbition4RP]

Likewise without thinking, seeing Taurean's offered hand she reached out and took it, letting him assist her up onto the fallen tree trunk, listening as he explained who he thought was leading the group pursuing them. Well, she supposed now they were the ones pursuing the Despurdens.

"So we'll have a wizard and a 'weasel' to contend with once we catch up with them," she replied with a nod, "Any plan yet for when we do?"

She recognized that he was being more upfront about sharing information with her than before and smiled slightly. It was also in that moment that she realized that she had not yet let go of his hand, quickly releasing it as she did.

 

[The_gladiator]

He paused there on the fallen trunk before she let go of his hand and let his eyes meet hers, “Be careful of Malic, he’s a high ranking despurden lieutenant for a reason. He’s not as good as me, but he’s also the only one living from the attack on you, which should tell you something.” When she let his hand go abruptly, he too seemed to notice that they’d been touching.

“I have half a mind to use this trunk to cross the river so we can come on them but keep an eye on them from a distance, but the river widens up ahead and I worry we might miss them on the far bank. I just didn’t want to stumble on them on this side of the river, because I highly doubt the weasel and Grendel are alone.” He seemed to be using The Weasel and the name he’d given him a moment ago, Malic interchangeably, suggesting that one was the man’s nickname, the other his given name.

He stepped back down from the trunk and reaching up put his hands on her waist to swing her down. It was clear that action was meant not to demean her, but strictly because he wanted to touch her.

 

[BlondeAmbition4RP]

Celaena had given a nod of confirmation to Taurean as he'd given his warning of Malic. She would be careful.

"Whichever you think is best, though I think between the two of us it is unlikely that we would miss them if we crossed over to the other side of the river now, at least so long as they don't stay too far from the riverbank.. it is a shame that the boat did not make it over the falls intact."

She smiled as he took her by the waist and lifted her down off the tree trunk. She was perfectly capable of getting down by herself, but she could tell that he was aware of this as well and knew that the gesture was likely an excuse to touch her again.

"Though I am greatly enjoying the walk," she added with a smirk.

 

[The_gladiator]

“I think we’ll stay on this side, it will allow us to hit and run at them more easily. From the tracks I saw there could be a decent amount of them.”

He saw her smirk as he released her almost reluctantly. “Rather fond of it myself,” he saidstepping closer, looking down at her. His lips slightly parted at if he was about to kiss her. Though he didn’t, reluctantly turning away, knowing this was not the place or time. “We should keep moving,” he offered finally by way of explanation.

 

[BlondeAmbition4RP]

Celeana had noticed how Taurean had seemed almost reluctant to release her again. As he stepped forward and his lips parted, her eyes shifted down to them. Without thinking her own lips likewise parted slightly, her chin starting to lift upwards every so slightly in welcome of his expected kiss, but then he stopped and she caught herself, fighting the flush that she could feel fighting to creep into her cheeks as he turned away and explained that they should keep moving.

"Of course," she quickly agreed, stepping forward with him, knowing he was right.

She fixed her gaze ahead, looking for signs of more tracks of the group they were tracking.

"How many of them do you think there are?" she asked, trying to turn her thoughts back to the task at hand and away from the almost kiss.

 

[The_gladiator]

Taurean had become aware of her acceptance of him just as he turned away. He now wished he had followed through. However, he should not be thinking such things now.

“Two for sure. I’m guessing 5-10 of them. Ambushing them, or hit and run tactics are how we will win. If they know who they are after they will try to find a mix between enough bodies to overwhelm me and skill to try to defeat me. They might know you’re with me, but I can almost guarantee they will underestimate you, which is good for us.”

As he spoke, he weaved his way through the trees. He came across more tracks in the mud. Crouching down he examined them. “I see more than two sets of tracks, but it is unclear how many there are,” he murmured. “They look like they might actually be moving fairly cautiously. Although not too much, they’re clumsy or at least some of them are to make these tracks.”

Coming back to his feet he headed off again. “You are intriguing to me, far more than you should be,” he commented conversationally as they continued breaking the silence that had filled the air as they walked onward.

 

[BlondeAmbition4RP]

Celaena had smiled slightly to herself with a bit of pride as Taurean had remarked that he thought the Despurdens they were tracking would underestimate her, taking the comment as a compliment considering who it was that was speaking. She knew that she really had only just met Taurean, but based on her time with him so far she had already gotten the impression that he was not one to give praise easily.

As he wove his way through the forest she followed, keeping in step with him as he followed the tracks of the group they followed, listening carefully as he explained what he found and examining the boot marks in the mud with him. She gave a nod of agreement, but otherwise remained silent as they continued on again, until he broke the silence between them again, his words both confusing and surprising her a bit, though she tried not to let it show.

"More than I should be?" she asked, attempting to keep her tone sounding casual and conversational to match his own, her eyes on the path ahead of them as she kept in stride beside him.

 

[The_gladiator]

Taurean considered her for a moment. “Elves have been my enemies for a long time. I have made a living out of avoiding my elven heritage. Especially avoiding your kind from Kierielle.” He said softly. He seemed to be considering his next words, “Yet you make me want to learn more. Wonder what it is like to do things like kiss you, feel your touch. I have been with other elves, but never a high elf of Kierielle. Have rarely heard my name used with that particular accent until I met you.”

As he spoke, he began to cross a stream in their path, stepping from stone to stone.

“My personal code says I should not desire you, yet there is something about you and not just your startling beauty that draws me in. There is a gentleness to you that the human’s lack.” Taurean was talking, a lot and the more he spoke the more it seemed to make him uncomfortable.

“I was always taught that if you cannot make your point in 30 words or less you should probably not even bother,” he growled finally falling silent, clearly castigating himself for opening up to her.

 

[BlondeAmbition4RP]

Celaena was unsure of what to make of Taurean's confession. She was finding it to be a bit of a backhanded compliment to be quite honest. On the one hand he had professed that he found her beautiful and desirable, that he wished to feel her kiss and touch; but then on the other he spoke of how much he had disliked and avoided her kind, even though it was a part of his own heritage. His talk of being with other elves, but never one from Kierielle even made her wonder if it was only because she was from there that he found her so intriguing and desirable.

"I see," she commented softly.

She considered him for a moment, watching as he made his way over the stones, then followed, her eyes downward on her steps and off of him as she lightly skipped from stone to stone and crossing the stream herself.

"Perhaps it is only because I am so forbidden and unknown then that you find me intriguing," she decided as she continued onward, her eyes still on her path and not on him, "Once you come to know me more it will fade."

 

[The_gladiator]

Taurean wasn’t quite sure what he had said wrong, but he was observant enough to know that something had changed. His social skills were stunted enough to truly recognize how his words had come across. “Perhaps you are right,” he said formally bowing his head to her.

He was certain that he should not have spoken up. “Things are better when I stay silent,” he muttered, more to himself than to her. He continued to glance her way. He had gotten too friendly, said too much.

As they descended a steep slope as the river went through a smaller water fall, he again offered her a hand at times, but seemed to be struggling to just be sure to keep things business like. At the bottom he saw more tracks, confirming they were headed in the right direction.

“I think we will encounter them soon,” he said finally, the first time he’d spoken to her in some time.

 

[BlondeAmbition4RP]

“Perhaps you are right.”

It wasn't the response that Celaena had been hoping for, and she'd kept her gaze turned away from Taurean to hide her disappointment. If he was in agreement on the matter though, then it was settled. She did not think indulging his attraction to her was a good idea if he was just curious what it would be like to be with a elvish woman from Kierielle, even if the attraction was mutual, especially now that they were to be working together. No, best to try and keep things professional between them now she told herself.

She felt badly when an awkward silence seemed to descend between them. She hadn't meant to make him think that he couldn't share his thoughts with her, or that she wished to be unfriendly toward him now, but she was uncertain of what to say to break the silence. She was grateful when he spotted more tracks and spoke up again.

"I'll follow your lead when we do," she replied, her voice soft and switching to their high elf tongue as they had done before in case someone should overhear.

 

[The_gladiator]

Taurean paused as she switched to elven. There was a part of him that treasured hearing her voice speak to him in elvish. He nodded sharply.

Before they went on, he turned to her. His hand lifted to her face making her look up at him, his gray eyes stormy with emotions. “You’re wrong about me. I would never desire a woman just because she was from my homeland. Anything I might feel for you would be based on you, not your bloodline. I have turned others from Kierielle down despite being curious to be with someone from my homeland. I might not be good at articulating the reasons for desiring you, but shallow I am not.” He let his hand fall away. “If something goes sideways when we confront them, I thought you should know.”

Taurean wasn’t sure why he cared to set the record straight. It was just eating at him. He had agreed with her earlier because he was unsure how to deny her assertion. He barely knew her, he didn’t even himself understand the attraction, how could he explain it to her.

Taurean unslung the bow from his shoulder and bent it with a quick motion snapping the string into the grove where it rested. He considered keeping it himself, but then handed it to her. He thought it wiser that she keeps her distance if possible. He didn’t have to tell her he thought they were close, his actions made that clear, as well as mentioning it once before.

 

[BlondeAmbition4RP]

Celaena had been caught off guard when Taurean had suddenly turned to her, lifting her face so that she would look at him, her blue eyes gazing into his gray ones. Earlier that morning she had found herself wondering what his eyes might look like up close in the daylight, and now as she listened to him speak she found herself unable to look away from them and the storm of emotions swirling within their depths. They were mesmerizing, holding her attention even after his hand fell away.

His words too had caught her off guard, and for a moment as he readied his bow she was unsure of what to say in response. She felt badly for misjudging his meaning before. No wonder he had fallen so silent after. When he handed her the bow though, she placed her hand lightly upon his.

"Thank you, Taurean," she told him softly as she took it from him, still using their elven tongue as her eyes found his again, "And I am sorry for mistaking your meaning before.. thank you for telling me."

 

[The_gladiator]

He felt the pull of her eyes as well. They were very blue in the sunlight. A romantic would call them beautiful and he threatened to get lost in them. Her hand on his sent a spike of pleasure through him.

He nodded to her apology. He slid his free arm around her waist not where their hands were joined on the bow. He swept her close and his lips descended to hers, and before he could think about the rightness of what he was doing he kissed her long and firm. It was clearly controlled, they couldn’t get out of hand, but it was honest and passionate. He also did not shield himself encase she struck out at him for his boldness. “For luck,” he whispered against her lips as he finally broke the kiss, though he didn’t pull back immediately.

 

[BlondeAmbition4RP]

Celaena was caught off guard by Taurean's kiss in such a moment, but her response was far from the strike across his cheek that he might have feared. Instead she'd found her eyes drifting shut to savor the feel of his lips against her own, her free hand resting against his chest and her body leaning into his slightly.

When his lips parted from her own and she heard his whispered words, her eyes opened again and she gave a blink at him in shock for a moment, then felt a small smile spread across her lips in reply. Tilting her head forward she closed the tiny space between their mouths once more and placed a soft, brief kiss upon his lips in return.

"Good luck, Taurean," she whispered with a smirk, then pulled back from him, taking the bow and arrows from him with her, "We should continue on before we fall too far behind our prey."