Beyond Time (closed)

[KieranSoares]

Kiva could only smile and take the horse by the reins. "Go ahead, I'll be right there." He then turned to escort the great beast inside the stable and John came to follow at Dylandra's side.

"Damn you're bossy," John teased.

 

[heartofcourage]

"And you love me for being bossy." Dylan said with a grin. "Besides my husband has promised me a lovely night and I'm not going to be late for a night out with him."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I love you for being decisive, not bossy," John corrected with a grin. When they came to the door, Ashien opened it and let John in, but blocked Dylandra's way.

"There is a toll for passage, milady," Ashien told her with a wry smile, leaning on the doorframe with his arms crossed.

 

[heartofcourage]

Dylan paused as he blocked her entrance into the manor, demanding a toll from her before she could enter herself. She gave him a grin, laughing softly as she leaned in and pressed her lips against his. A soft sigh issued from her throat as she gladly paid him what he wanted and so much more. She would have kissed him for the rest of time if she could have.

 

[KieranSoares]

Ashien's arms slowly encircled Dylandra's waist as their kiss lingered, but it didn't last long enough before he drew her inside to join the others. Kiva was soon along and they all sat down to the meal. Ballas happily curled up under the table half on Ashien's feet with his tail swishing across Dylandra's ankles every so often, and Kiva and John were immediately embroiled in a conversation about saddlery and the like, and Van was quite content to listen as usual, and Ashien was all smiles every time he made eye contact with his wife. He was sure the giddy joy would never wear off.

 

[heartofcourage]

Dylan smiled at Ash as he looked at her with that giddy smile on his face. Usually talk of horses would bore her to tears, but she did try to listen and learn for her husband's sake. Horses were his passion and his livelihood. It was her duty to make sure that she had some sort of interest in the same things that he did as well.

"I caught your tiger begging for scraps in the kitchen earlier." Dylan commented as her leg was hit by Ballas's tail. "Like a common dog."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Sounds about right," Ashien nodded, nudging Ballas with his boot and getting an annoyed growl in return. "Glutton. I should put you on a diet. Better yet, make you hunt your own food."

"I doubt he knows how to hunt more than a stray fly," Van commented quietly.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I get the feeling that he's been spoiled his entire life." Dylan said with an indulgent smile towards her husband.

She knew that he was a generous soul and he would probably treat their children much the way that he treated his tiger. If that were the case, he would be a fantastic father. Their children would grow up in a beautiful home with a family that loved them very much and friends that would protect them until their dying breath.

"I blame you and Van equally." Dylan said with a soft laugh. "You both are soft when it comes to a pleading pair of eyes."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I beg to differ. My mother and my sister adored him and nearly made him fat before I left home for Darkwood. I had nothing to do with it," Ashien claimed as if offended.

"Hardly. I was the one who had to make him run off all that weight," Van muttered.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I still blame you both." Dylan said as she felt Ballas's tail curl around her ankle as if to tell her that he was listening. "But I suppose you can be forgiven."

She felt Ballas twist under the table, his great paws soon wrapped around Ashien's leg as he played with his master to show his affection.

 

[KieranSoares]

"You know you love him, spoiled and pain in the ass he is," John added in regard to Ballas. "But if any of the stories we heard about Ashien's sister are true, she's responsible for making Ballas such a pushover."

"He always slept in her bed and he was always right on her heels to the day she left for Edinburgh," Ashien said with a nod. "They ate together in the garden all the time and he used to bring her gulls and robins and mice he caught. She practically trained him to herd sheep because they got loose all the time out on the countryside. I'm the one who turned him into a fighter. I trained him to be like an attack dog, but he's so lazy when there isn't any danger about."

 

[heartofcourage]

"And he chose to live with you so far away from home." Dylan said with a smile as they all heard the deep, rusty rumble of a very content cat issue from under the table. "He's a great beast and one of the best men that I know."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I suppose he's fairly lovable," Ashien conceded with a chuckle.

Dinner passed fairly quickly before Kiva and Van got back to work and Ashien, John, and Dylandra were off to town. Most shops were closing but as they entered the nearest London market, they came to the blacksmith's shop where Ashien welcomed them inside to meet the old smith and his apprentice. "John, this is George Sanders and his son Carl, and they were kind enough to rush an order for you "

"For me? I didn't order anything," John murmured.

"I did." At Ashien's words, the apprentice wheeled out a tall stand, upon which hung a full suit of armor fit for a knight. "You're going to need every piece for tournaments and ceremonies to start with, then one day for battle," Ashien told him. "So I commissioned it early. You've been making so much progress that I'm sure you'll need it soon when the King wants to see what you can do."

John was lost in stunned silence, staring at the gleaming chest plate and the visored helm til his gaze turned slowly to Ashien. "You... This must've... Jesus."

"Oh, shut up and try it on," Ashien chuckled, taking the accompanying garments and helping John into them. First the underlying protective clothes, then the chain and then the armor, and finally a decorated tabard which was sewn with what would be John's future coat of arms; a quartered black and blue shield with falcons in the blue quadrants surrounded by black diamonds. Once John was fully armored, Ashien helped him put on the helmet for the first time, and Dylandra was suddenly looking at a knight right out of a history book or a tapestry. The smith gave him his shield and the signature English Knight longsword, and John's attire was complete.

 

[heartofcourage]

Dylan loved riding with Ashien. She would sit in front of him in the saddle, his strong arm wrapped around her waist as they rode into town. She certainly could have ridden alone, but this was much more fun. They made their way through London, each shop owner starting to close their doors for the evening. There were so many places she wanted to visit, to look at items that hadn't been around in hundreds of years by the time she was born.

They stopped at a blacksmith's shop, a gleam in Ash's eyes as he helped her down from the saddle and the three of them walked in. She took a seat on a stool, looking over different tools and instruments that the blacksmith worked with as the men talked. Then, suddenly, a suit of armor was wheeled in and John was at a loss for words. Glancing towards Ashien, Dylan smiled softly. He had a soft heart and was fiercely protective of his friends. He truly believed in John if he had taken such a big step.

"You look very smart." Dylan commented as John was placed on the armor. "Like a true hero fit for a princess."

 

[KieranSoares]

Ashien reached up and lifted the visor and smiled at John. "It's not going to be comfortable, but how does it feel? Nothing too tight or jagged?"

"It all feels fine... It feels amazing," John murmured, looking down at himself. He then smiled to Dylandra. "Think Elizabeth would like it?"

 

[heartofcourage]

"I think she would marry you right now if she saw how handsome you were." Dylan said with a grin, laughing as he grinned like an excited school boy. "You have no worries about that."

She glanced towards Ashien and gave him a smile as well, seeing all the hard work he had put into John had paid off. John was confident and stood strong, every inch a knight.

 

[KieranSoares]

Ashien checked over every inch of the armor and made sure it was all fitted and not jagged in any way around the edges. Once he was satisfied, he paid the smith. "Thank you. Now John, the apprentice is going to help you get all that back to the manor. Meanwhile, I have a promise to keep."

Ashien took Dylandra by the hand and led her out to his horse. They were soon on their way northwest toward an area of forested highland beyond London, likely the territory of the werefolk.

 

[heartofcourage]

Dylan found herself falling just a little deeper for her husband as he explained to John that he had a promise to keep. She kissed his cheek as he helped her back into the saddle, riding towards the woods that were outside of the city. She had no idea what he had planned for her but she was sure that it would be something that she would always remember.

"A night alone with you? To what do I owe this treat to?" She teased him, laughing softly as the look that he gave her. "Admit it, love. They are few and far between lately."

 

[KieranSoares]

"It's not for my lack of trying, darling," Ashien told her with a smile though it was clear he felt guilty. "But thankfully some friends of mine agreed to an extension on mg deadlines. They know how important you are to me. Henry in particular."

They rode down a wide track, then turned onto a narrow trail that was lightly worn by the daily passage of werefolk out hunting. Ashien seemed perfectly at ease, and they passed a quiet hunting party on their way who seemed to know Ashien and nodded silently to him. When they finally reached their destination, Ashien pulled the horse to a halt on the edge of a huge glade in which a large spring welled up into a deep, crystal clear lake of sorts. Small though it was, it immensely deep and massive fish could be seen many meters down on the bottom. Ashien tied the horse's reins to a tree and helped Dylandra down, leading her around the spring and up a small series of steep stone steps that required a bit of doing to climb. Once on top, Dylandra could see over the entire southern part of the forest and the spring, all the way to London in the east, Darkwood to the south, and the smoke from the werefolk village in the west. But to the north. The trees grew gigantic and blocked all view with their shadowy, hulking shoulders of branches and leaves.

"Durban brought me here when he came to visit back when I was still a squire," Ashien told her quietly. "He and I had a good many talks up here during his stay. And this is where he came up with the name for his daughter and I met the werefolk properly."

 

[heartofcourage]

The spot that Ashien led her towards was absolutely beautiful. She had never seen something as stunning as the clear lake that they came across, nor the stunning view of the land beyond them as they climbed the steep stone stairs. Her hand was tight around his own, allowing him to guide and steady her as they went.

"It's stunning, Ash." She said softly, her soft eyes taking in everything around them as her blonde hair was stirred with the sudden breeze that picked up. "There is nothing like this in my time. It's all been taken down and turned into buildings as far as the eye can see."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Considering werefolk aren't around in your time... I suppose there was no one to stop the spread of London," Ashien murmured. "But I'm glad you get to see it this way. This is one of the many reasons I decided to join Henry's court. This natural beauty of the isles. I don't want to see it burn like it did in the days of the invasion by the Normans. That... And England is the front line of defense for Scotland. The only countries that can reach my homeland without passing through English lands or waters are the Nordic folk, but they haven't been a bother since Hardrada fell. So here I stand to help England, if only to help my own people and friends in the north."

 

[heartofcourage]

"It's peaceful in my time. There are no countries trying to invade and take over the isles, even if it does still happen elsewhere." Dylan said as she leaned into Ashien's chest. "But it doesn't have the same beauty any longer. This place is magical now."

She truly meant those words. The forest around them did look magical. It looked like something out of a fairy tale with the bright stars above them and the scent of pine hanging in the air. She wished that more people could see this to appreciate everything that much more.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I don't know if I'd make that trade... Peace for beauty. I think I'd rather fight and be able to see this," Ashien muttered. "But hopefully before long, we'll secure the isles like King William never could. And we'll know a bit of peace." He pressed a kiss to her forehead. The light was fading from the sky and the stars were starting to appear in the east along with a sliver of moon. Ashien seemed perfectly content to watch the twilight fade.

 

[heartofcourage]

"That's the artist in you talking." Dylan teased as he kissed her forehead and they simply watched the sky change from brilliant twilight to the more somber darkness of night. "I love John dearly, but I never thought I would have someone in my life that understood me the way that you do. You truly do complete me, Ashien."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I certainly try my best," Ashien told her with a smile. "But it's not hard considering the beauty you are and how often you indulge me in all my fantasies... Artistic and otherwise."