Flesh and Blood

[Jeremy Davis]

The fire crackled as it filled the room with its soft, wavering glow. Two figures sat across from each other at the long wooden table, trying to finish what they had of a meal. It had been a few hours since their benefactor had left them and they were not sure when he would return.

Bayne, a tall, well built young man with blond hair and dark eyes, looked up at the girl that sat across from him. Though she had grown up and blossomed since the first time he had laid eyes on her, he -much to her dismay- hadn't noticed.

Natasia, a petite, sensual young lady also had blond hair, but her light blue eyes seemed to stare straight into your soul when she looked at you. Feeling Bayne's gaze she too looked up and met his eyes with her own. Ten years had past since the first time she laid her eyes on him. As she looked her mind traveled back in time to when they first met, she had loved him from that day on.

~*~

Her family was wealthy and powerful, so powerful that nothing happened in the community unless her father gave his blessing. It was because of this that the other nobles turned on them. That evening a fresh blanket of snow had just fallen and covered everything in a shroud of white. Her father had just returned from a meeting and was visiably shaken.

"We must leave, they are coming for us." was all he could get out before he fled into his study and returned with a small chest. Natasia's mother looked grief stricken as she gathered up everything that she knew they would need, then wrapped Natasia and her two younger brothers up before leading them out to the carriage that waited.

Once they were all within the carriage, her father lept up into the driver's seat and whipped the horses into a frenzy as they left their home behind them. "What's going on mama?" her brother had asked, but all her mother did was hush them as she looked out the window fearful of what might be out in the blackness. Suddenly, the sound of the horses' gallop was joined by others that started off soft, but soon grew louder and louder until Natasia thought that she could feel their hoof-beats in her chest.

The sound of battle rang out as her father took out his sword and tried to fend off their assailants, however they were too many and her father was cut down leaving no one to steer the horses. The children cried out after hearing their mother's cry of anguish, but Natasia could not find her voice as she stared off into the night. Leaning against the door of the carriage trying to look out the window and see what was going on, the door suddenly gave and Natasia fell from the carriage moments before it hit a fallen tree and flipped over. As she lay in the snow, all she could see ahead was the men, now dismounted, circling the crumbled carriage as one of them tossed a light torch into the debris catching it on fire. She could hear the cries of her family as she turned and hurried from the scene.

The shock and the fear had carried her for the first thirty yards or so. It all seemed unreal to her, being only twelve years old. Things like this just didn't happen. Not to her, not to daddy's princess. It was like a nightmare, except that this time there was no one to wake her. So she ran away from the angry men, but her legs were so short and the snow was so soft. It was so very cold away from the carriage. Running in the snow was hard.

One of the men had caught a glimpse of her as she fled into the woods. Now the men were hunting her like a pack of wolves. She got scared when she heard them yelling. They were so close now, like they were just over her shoulder. That is when she made a mistake. As she attempted to look over her shoulder, she struck her head against a low limb and fell into the snow.

She couldn't hold back any more, no matter what daddy had said. It was just too much for her and tears started to fall warm on her cheeks. That was when the eyes showed up. Dark and piercing, so full of anger and strength, he looked like a giant. That was when the fear returned, but he wasn't with the other men. It was like a fairy tale then. He knew secret things, like how to make her warm instantly with a drink, and he knew about secret places in the woods. Maybe places only he and the animals knew about. Maybe he was a woodsman, the kind that always came to save little girls in the fairy tales. She figured that he was so she listened and obeyed him when he told her to stay put until he returned for her.

When the man had been gone for some time, she became worried. She didn't want to be left alone in the woods, in the dark. However just as she started to cry again, he reappeared and she knew that he would never allow anything bad to happen to her again.

In all good stories, the little girl has to go on a trip, and that is what they did. It wasn't as nice as the stories told of though, and since she didn't know what to say about all of this, she didn't say anything at all. They booked passage on a boat and crossed the sea, then they kept going, heading for some distant castle she was sure. During the trip all she could think about was how cold it was. She had never been so cold and all the man kept telling her was that they would get home soon. But "soon" seemed like days, and they had to climb the side of a cliff to reach the castle. Maybe it is on top if this mountain she thought. That would be nice, but she was wrong, it wasn't a castle but a cave. She trusted the man, but that didn't mean that she still wasn't scared.

"Don't be afraid of the dark. There is nothing in there that will harm you."

He was right, there was nothing bad in there. In fact, it felt warm and safe just like the trees. Another secret place she was sure.

"Welcome to my home, and now yours."

But she wasn't sure she wanted to live here, and then she saw HIM. He was surely a prince of some kind. If he wasn't now, he would be, and she was a princess because that is what daddy always said.

"Bayne. Bayne this is our new guest. Introduce yourself boy."

"But, but she's a girl."

"How very perceptive of you."

"My, I mean, hello m... m... my name is Bayne Wolfe. I'm very pleased to meet you. What is your name?"

She couldn't speak, all she could do was stare at him.

"You know for a girl, you don't talk much."

"Bayne... That's rude. She had had a very long few days. Give her some time to recover, and her name is..."

"Natasia. Call me Natasia as my mother did."

"See she can talk, Bayne."

And so the fairy tale ended and the future began.

~*~

"Natasia are you alright?" Bayne said as he watched her hold her fork in mid air between her mouth and her plate.

"Oh," she said as she came out of her daydream and blushed. "Yes I'm fine. I was just remembering the first time I met you is all."

 

[Jeremy Davis]

OOC:
Maid Of Marvels has signed on to play Natasia.

 

[Jeremy Davis]

OOC:
Maid of Marvels has regretfully had to back out of this thread so it is once again open. Please PM me if you are interested in taking the Nastasia character.

 

[Jeremy Davis]

OOC:
AngelRavenWing has signed on to play Natasia. Thank you to all other people who expressed interest in playing her.

 

[AngelRavenWing]

Thank You for allowing me to write with You
​

*************

Natasia

It was not a pleasant memory. Perhaps it should have been, but nothing would ever make the memory that now slithered into, over, and thru her mind, pleasant.

Natasia could, as those pale, crystal blue eyes of her closed for that moment, still feel the thudding of the horse's hooves, striking the ground, still hear the groaning of their breathing, still smell the heavy, pungent scent of the men chasing them. She could still hear, feel, taste, the fear in her Father's, and her Mother's voice, as they tried to escape, her Father slain during the fight, her Mother and screaming bothers dying in the torching of their fallen carriage.

Natasis wrapped her arms about herself. She wished she could forget that night, that desperate dash for safety, freedom, for whatever it was her Father was running to, or .... running from. She was shivering as the memory continued to play out.

She running, the cold of the snow, the shouts of the hunting men, the last dying whimpers of her family.

Then, falling, crying, and...

And...

Those eyes.

Kald had found her that fateful night. She hadn't known his name at the time. To her, He was her hero. For the longest time, 12 year old Natasia had simply called Him that, Hero, He smiling with those eyes, and gently telling her each time to simply call Him Kald.

She knew her Father would have liked Him, trusted Him. To this day, she wished her Father and Kald had known one another. She was sure things would have been different. As she had grown, and come to understand, a least a little, of the events that had lead to that night, that horrible night, she knew that her Father, no matter how powerful, how wealthy, had lacked anyone to trust. Kald would have been that someone, she was sure, if things had been.... different.

The only good thing that had come of that night, other than Kald, had been meeting Bayne.

That was when the memory began to warm her.

At 22 years old now, Natasia had blossomed into a stunningly beautiful young woman. Her blonde hair had taken on the sheen of the very sun. Her crystal blue eyes were clear and sparkling, like ocean colored diamonds. Surely, had her Father lived and prospered, her hand would have been sought by any, and every, noble in the land.

Perhaps, it was that, which had betrayed her Father. A Noble, who saw the beauty in the girl. Who knew that the people, as the darker times approached, craved a beautiful vision to lead them, to lightened their darkening days. Perhaps a Noble, desiring power, wished the young girl's hand in an early coupling, which of course her Father had refused. The darker times, the shadows of evil, descended, killing first the family of the girl, and the girl herself, or so it was thought.

The Men had never returned that night. Even Natasia did not know what had happened. Kald would not speak of it, not since that night.

Her mind wandered back to Bayne. She had tried to look upon Him as only a friend, as an ally, as a brother perhaps. But her heart told her different.

"Natasia are you alright?"

"Oh," she said as she came out of her daydream and blushed. "Yes I'm fine. I was just remembering the first time I met you is all."

Her cheeks went from pale, brought on by the horrific memory, to pink, as He entered her mind.

She took the last bite of her dinner, but it was cold. Then again it had started out cold. This was not the time of her Father, and this certainly was not the noble Castle she had started out her life in. This Keep was dark, cool, yet it was home. This would always be home.

"Remember, remember how upset you were, having to share your precious Keep with, oh the horrors, a girl?" she teased, remembering the look of pure disdain on his face those first few days and nights, as she tried to get used to where she was, and the fact that her family was dead.

It had been a sad time, but Bayne had made it bearable. Clumsy as He was, trying to ignore His new, slightly younger playmate, Natasia had found herself wanting to be near Him, around Him, she wanted Him to like her.

That didn't really happen, as least in her eyes, until He taught her to play the game of Bola. It was pretty simple. A Bola consists of three long straps of leather, each about five feet long, each terminating in a leather sack which contains, sewn inside, a heavy, round, weight of some kind. Used for hunting, it was also a game that many of the local boys played, and Natasia barely remembered it from her days at home. She had never played it tho, until Bayne taught her, using dummys strategically placed thru out the grounds that surrounded the Keep. The horses were well versed in this game, and knew how to behave. Heck, that was half the battle, Natasia thought as she watched. If the horses moved as you wished, you could conentrate on the throw of the Bola and the ensueing capture.

She was proficient at it within days. She was limber, quick, and stronger than one would think to look at her.

It had been her idea to hunt each other, using the Bola.

She began giggling as that memory replaced the last. The look on His face had been priceless when she had captured HIm the first time.

Hers had been just as priceless.

Now it was a game that they still played, every so often, always upping the anty.

 

[Jeremy Davis]

"Oh," he answered as he watched her put the bite of food that was hovering in front of her lips into her mouth, then couldn't help but give her his brattish smirk as she crinkled her nose as she chewed and swallowed. "That was a long time ago..." Suddenly his memories filled with that evening when his mentor, Kald, brought Natasia home.

~*~

"Bayne. Bayne, come in here boy." Kald called from his library where he was rummaging through the scrolls.

"Yes, sir?" Bayne asked as he entered and watched. "Did you need me for something?"

"Bayne, I have just had an urgent feeling and I am going to follow it. I will be gone for a few days and I wanted to give you your next few lessons."

Bayne nodded as he watched Kald look through the scrolls. Kald having a feeling always fascinated him, however Kald would never speak of them in detail. He would only say that it was like he was watching as if he were a bird flying overhead.

Finally deciding on a few scrolls, Kald handed them to Bayne, then grabbed his fur lined cloak and sped to the keep door that led to the cave entrance. "I should not be gone more than a few days, however if I do not return after the fourth day you know where to go."

"Yes, Sir, I am to go through the passage that leads to the underground river and take the boat ‘til I find the next dock. There I will follow the path until I reach the home of Kyrnn the wizard." Bayne said as if he were reciting lines.

"Good...I will return soon." Kald said as he disappeared from the door and into the darkness beyond.

Bayne had neglected his studies, as he often did while Kald was away and not hawking over him. He spent more of the day lounging around the house and practicing his bola and swordplay than reading the scrolls on topics such as philosophy and history. Finally after the second day, Bayne decided that he should at least skill the scrolls in case Kald questioned him upon his return.

Sitting on the bear skin rug in from of the fireplace, Bayne stretched out and read each of the scrolls. Just as he started to read the last one, Kald returned. Bayne rolled the scroll and started to stand as Kald called him, but when Bayne saw that Kald had brought someone home with him, it caused him to stop in his tracks. Kald never said that he was going to be bringing back another child, let alone a girl. The whole thing caught Bayne off guard and bewildered him for the moment. He had resented her for awhile, at least until she expressed interest in learning the bola, then he accepted her as a friend.

~*~

He soon realized that it was he who was lost in his thoughts, and he finished what was left of his meal before pushing the plate towards the middle of the table. Another brattish smirk came to his face as he soon realized that they would have a contest to decide who would do the dishes tonight. These contests began after the time they started to hunt each other with a bola. Since then they always seemed to find a way to try to one up the other in a contest of some sort. Bayne's tended to be more physically oriented, while Natasia's -due to the fact she knew she was not as strong as Bayne had become- tended to be more mental tasks like puzzles and riddles.

The last challenges they had done were a few days before. Natasia's was first; her puzzle that time was more of a scavenger hunt where the clues to what Bayne needed to find were in riddle form. It had taken Bayne the better part of an hour to finally find the last thing, but something had stunned him when he returned. Kald was scolding Natasia for something she was apparently daydreaming about.

"Natasia! Stop that this minute! Do NOT think such...thoughts in my presence, young lady! I know I taught you better than that!"

Natasia had a look of anguish on her face, however her skin was very flushed and a thin coat of sweat could be seen on her. "I... am sorry. I…couldn't help it..."

"YES you can! And you have to!" Kald chided her

Bayne couldn't hide his curiosity any longer. It seemed that Kald was correcting Natasia about her thoughts more and more in the last few years. Kald always seemed to know what the two of them were thinking and it made it hard to keep things to themselves when they were in his presence. "What? What is she thinking?" Bayne asked as he entered the room and he noticed that Natasia had turned from a bright pink to a deep crimson as she realized that Bayne caught her. "C'mon, tell me. What's going on? You know I can't hear her thoughts."

"It's nothing Bayne, at least nothing you need to worry about now...go and clean the dishes and the kitchen. I..."

"But I just won the game and she has too..." Bayne complained before Kald closed the argument.

"I need to speak with Natasia, go and clean up, Bayne, please."

Bayne knew better than to argue with Kald and had retired to the kitchen with their plates and cleaned.

Since Kald was gone, Bayne had given the last challenge which saw Natasia having to clean the dishes from the day before. It would be her turn to think of the challenge today.

 

[AngelRavenWing]

Natasia tried to hide her thoughts. Not all her thoughts, only certain ones. Thoughts that haunted her. Why had her Father and family been marked for death. Who could so coldly condone the death of a mother and children?? Her brothers had been younger than her. And how had Kald come to be where He was, when He was? But the most frightening thought, the one that made her shiver in the dark, the one that seemed to shine thru her eyes to Kald was, had it, the ambush, the killings, the horror, been her fault? She remembered the one Noble, Severn, who had desired her hand in marriage, even at the tender age of 12, which her Father had found disgusting. Had her Father's death, her Mother, her Brothers.... been all her fault?

Another thought had been much more simple, and more brutal. Had Kald indeed killed all the Men hunting her that night? And if so, what kind of Man could just kill that way, brutally, alone, facing several as surely He had?

But at this particular moment, those thoughts, thank goodness, were not troubling her.

It was her turn to set the challenge to Bayne for chores. Tonight her challenge would serve 2 purposes. One, of course, to challenge Bayne. The other, to help out the maidservant Anya. Anya had a daughter, all of 5 years old. The girl had a cat, who in turn had a litter of kittens. The kittens, being playful, as any youngster is, had wandered off and now were lost. Anya's little daughter was miserable. And Natasia wanted to help. She had searched the Keep, but knew that Bayne knew the Keep better than anyone. And, the thought of Him gathering up those little kittens just made Natasia smile. She had a fierce love of animals and was determined that Bayne have that same "love"

The look on His face when she issued her challenge was priceless, once again. She could see the words running across his eyes, his mind. You want me to look for.... Kittens???? He never had to say the words, she knew what He was thinking. She had grown to know Bayne well.

"Now go" she shoo'ed Him off. He hated that. She did it just to exsaserbate Him. Wait til He found out she had been practicing at Bola and was even better than before.

She, allowed a moment of respite, settled down by the fire to warm herself. She really liked these little challenges, but she hoped that Bayne would indeed "win" and find all the kittens. She implied that she knew just where they were hiding, but of course she didn't, and in fact she was worried about them. Doing the dishes tonight would be well worth it to know the little kittens were safe, and Anya's daughter smiling again.

The light of the fire bathed her in it's warm glow, dancing over her skin. She loved the feeling of the fire blanketing over her. Natasia had hated the cold since that night Kald had found her in the snow. Her thoughts, while enjoying the heat, turned to Bayne, as they almost always did.

She let her eys close, her breathing deepening. Natasia often dreamed about Bayne. Some were innocent dreams, of love, and happiness. Others were more, intimate. This particular dream happened to be one of the more, intimate, ones.

She was in her rooms, having just bathed. Her skin still glistening with dampness, her long golden blonde hair falling down her back in slightly dripping waves. The knock on her door was subtle, almost too quiet to be heard. But she had heard it, she had dreamed of that knock, in the dark of night, for so long.

It was Bayne. Always, in her dreams, it was Bayne.

He reached for her, closing the door behind Him. A moment later, and they were locked in a deep, passionate kiss, her silken lips parting to His, tongues entwining, tasting, curling around one another, slipping from her mouth to His. His hands entangle into her still wet hair, pulling her head back, baring her throat for Him.

His breath was quivering, heated, along the side of her neck where Bayne nuzzled at her, His lips and tongue tingling, tasting. The sensation made Natasia tremble, her body lightly quaking against His.

She let her eyes close as He continued what he was doing, He pinning her to the wall of her room, she feeling the hard surface at her back, and His muscled body against her own.

One hand, releasing her hair, began to slide slowly up her side, feeling the soft cotten of her robe. Slipping beneath, to now touch, caress, the supple smooth surfae of her skin. She was moaning quietly, almost a purring sound. This only edged Bayne on, His own growns vibrating along the curve of her throat. That hand gliding upwards, finding the swelling of her right breast, gently fondling, feeling the weight as He felt her whimper softly. No one had ever touched her like this before. In reality, Natasia would never let anyone touch her like this, except Bayne. "Ohhhh Godddd" she moaned, her breath catching in her chest.

Natasia felt the warmth in his fingers as He found her nipple, rolling it softly, enjoying the cry from her lips. "Ahhh yes, I like those sounds, those moans, yessss" He whispered in her ear, his breath warm and moist, the feeling cascading thru her.

"ahhhhh yes, feel that nipple respond" He murmered to her, as his hand moved to her left nipple. She could feel both throbbing with every wild beat of her heart.

He smiled at her, with His eyes as well as His lips, lifting His head from where He had been nuzzling and murmering against her throat.

Before she could react, or even realize what he was going to do, that softly smiling mouth found her left nipple. Natasia almost screamed then at the sensations that overtook her, Bayne pressing His body into her own to keep her stilled, a soft "shhhhhhhh" gently blown across that now wet nipple.

She enjoying the feeling of her taut, sensative nipple in the warmth of His mouth. He pulled on it with his lips, suckling hard, like a babe trying to feed, groaning around it. The thumb of his other hand slowly caressed over her other nipple as he nursed from her, getting it more aroused, and ready, for Him.

He pulled from her left, and devoured her right, suckling deeply, His body pressing into her as she squirmed, moaned and whimpered, her nipples throbbing and aching from him.. her skin was flush, warm... and ... she was getting wetter...

Natasia gasped suddenly as she shivered herself awake. She had lain by the fire, as she often did, and, if any had been watching, she had been moaning and writhing on that bear skin. It was not the first time she had done this. And for a moment, she thought she felt a pair of eyes on her.

 

[Jeremy Davis]

Kittens?... The challenge tonight was of all things to find a litter of kittens that somehow escaped from their box?

He mulled over the whole challenge as he walked down the hall and into the furthest corner of the keep deciding to work from there to the main hall. He had questioned the little girl about the place she last had played with the kittens and the girl, Kiara, had told him in tears that she was playing with them in the hall. Apparently she went to fetch one when it escaped but that was just a distraction for the rest to escape. So with the one cat in hand, the girl told him that there were 5 left to find.

He started looking in the dormitories for the servants that once helped out with the keep, however Kald only kept one servant now, Anya. Bayne knew that Kald had really cared for the Mother and her little girl, and was sure that they were in love and that Kiara may have been his. It was all conjecture at this point as Bayne had never in all of his years at the keep witnessed the pair together doing anything. Coming up empty in the dorms, he walked the halls checking behind every vase and suit of armor that Kald had decorating the keep.

Something caught Bayne's ears and he hesitated in the doorway of the library. There he spotted two little bodies scurrying across the floor. He had hoped the kittens would be attracted to people instead of fleeing from them, and he stepped into the room and started calling out to them. "Here kitty kitty." He called followed by a kissing sound made by his lips. Seeing two pairs of eyes shining at him from within one of the cases, Bayne knelt down and patted the floor trying to call them to him. Patients was one thing that Bayne had learned under Kald's tutelage and this time it paid off. The kittens finally seeing that he was not going to chase them came out from the books and ran sideways at him purring and mewing at him. He scooped the little furballs up and held them in his hand as he exited the room. Two down and three to go.

After returning the two kittens to Kiara, he set off after the final three. The only rooms left to search were the study, his room, the kitchen, and Natasia's room. He started with his room first, but came up empty handed. The kitchen was next but that too yielded no results. In the study he found one of the kittens playing with the quills that were originally on the desks, however he figured that the cat had batted the quill to the floor and resumed playing with it there. Even though the kitten bolted between the desk and the wall, its curiosity for the moving quill drew it out and within Bayne's reach and he picked it up, giving it a caress of his hand. Luck was with him because as soon as he left the study, he found another of the kittens in the hall and scooped it up before it realized that he was there. One more left.

Having searched the whole keep, the only place left was within Natasia's room. Feeling a bit odd at invading her personal space, Bayne decided it best to let Natasia look in her room and he returned to the main hall. At first he didn't see her, but as he walked towards the fireplace, he spotted her. He watched as she passed her hands over her body as it was stretched out on the fur rug. At first he couldn't tell if she was awake or not, so figuring her to be sleeping, he cleared his throat which caused her to sit up with a start. "Sorry," He said as he realized that she wasn't sleeping. "I didnae mean to scare you but I think one of the kittens may have went into your room and I didnae feel it was my right going into your room."

Looking her over he saw that familiar crimson cover her body. I half wondered why every time he came upon her when they weren't studying together or eating at the table that she always had that deep shade of red to her.

"Are you alright, Natasia? You seem a bit flushed?" Though he meant it sincerely by her reaction he thought perhaps she had taken it that he was teasing her.

 

[AngelRavenWing]

Those pair of eyes were accompanied by a voice. His voice. Bayne's voice.

"Sorry," He said as he realized that she wasn't sleeping. "I didnae mean to scare you but I think one of the kittens may have went into your room and I didnae feel it was my right going into your room."

"Are you alright, Natasia? You seem a bit flushed?"


Flushed? She could feel her skin burning. And not just the outside, she was heated, from the very inside. The dream still fresh in her mind, her widened eyes staring up a Bayne. For a brief moment, she could feel His lips playing lightly along her flesh, His hands gently exploring her curves, His breath quivering at her lips. The tip of her tongue slipping from between those trembling lips, wetting, almost tasting the leftover heat of her dream.

She turned away suddenly, actually grasping the bear skin throw she had been lounging on, a bear actually hunted and killed by Kald, around her, as if shielding herself from His gaze.

"I'm ok, just chilled" she lied, not daring to look up at His handsome face again. "Not fair You sneaking up on me that way"

That was one thing that Natasia hated, being snuck up on and surprised. Bayne had found that out the hard way one day, perhaps a year or so, maybe more, after she had been brought to live there. He had snuck up on her in the darkness of the hall one night, she having ventured out of her room for a cup of hot tea, being unable to sleep. Her scream seemed to echo forever, and what did linger for a long time after was the burn on His arm from the steaming tea. He had managed to get His arm up just in time to block her from throwing the tea in His face in her terror. And she had only been 14 at the time.

He had forgotten that little lesson, some years later, and again, thought it funny to sneak up on her as she stood in the study, looking for a book that Kald had instructed her to read. This time she didn't scream, her voice nothing more than a hushed gasp. She had jerked away from Him, her eyes nearly blinded by the fear she felt, a curved blade in her hand, she lunging at Him, blade going for His throat. It was a good thing Bayne was agile and fast, He managing to halt the nearly lethal blow. Natasia had begged His forgivness for days after that. He had always assured her He understood, she reacted, it was not an attack.

Kald had spoken to her that night in length about what had happened that time. Natasia in tears. It had taken her months of concentration, to come to a point that when she was startled, she would not react violently. The Servants that had been employeed at the Keep at the time were grateful, for often they had startled her and been hurt, altho not badly, in the process. Anya, the only Servant now in the Keep, knew better, as did little Kiara, who looked at Natasia as a big sister and loved her dearly.

If she had not had a handle on her reactionary emotions, she may have lunged at Bayne, yet again, altho at this particular moment she did not have the wicked curved blade that she usually carried strapped to her upper thigh, a gift from Kald. She wondered if He even noticed, there in the dimly lit room, that her entire body had tensed like a bowstring when He did startle her.

Climbing to her feet, she watched the fire crackling in the hearth before her. She wanted to retreat into His arms at that moment. Wanted, almost desperately to feel Him embrace her. The flutters of her dream still vivid in her mind. She dare not turn and look at Him. She was afraid He would see how she felt, what she so deeply wanted and needed from HIm, and it terrified her to let Him see that. What if He laughed? What if He turned away in disgust? Natasia knew that would hurt her, tear her apart.

"You win then. Your right, going into my chambers would not be right of You and I appreciate You thinking of that." If He had found her diary, she would have died. "I'll go check now, then I'll clean the dishes up and the dining area and kitchen. You have earned your relaxation for the night, Bayne" Still Natasia would not turn to look at Him. Keeping the bear skin around her slightly trembling body, she disappeared into the cool darkness of the hall.

 

[Jeremy Davis]

Bayne watched as Natasia walked down the hall. He couldn't help but get the feeling that he had done something wrong, that perhaps he had witnessed or that Natasia thought he had witnessed that he shouldn't have.

"Natasia, I'm...I'm Sorry." But it was too late to even try to apologize, she had already disappeared into the darkness despite the soft light of the torches. He looked into the fire as his mind raced as to what had happened. He didn't mean to sneak up on her, that lesson was well learned when he was younger, but he didn't realize that his footsteps barely made any noise when he walked. A side effect of wearing the soft leather boots he chose to wear around the keep.

His mind soon flared with the last time that he had the feeling that he witnessed something that he shouldn't have. It was about five years prior. They had been studying together in the library, Kald had given them both a scavenger hunt list of historical happening within the realm and the two of them had tore into the historical book that Kald had looking for the answers. Natasia was very quick with finding her information and getting the answers she needed. Bayne however took longer to even get the first few questions done; as soon as he opened the first book he was instantly sucked into the text. Natasia had been simply staring at Bayne after she had finished then she excused herself from the table and left the Library. Bayne was completely oblivious and despite telling her goodbye, he hadn't lifted his eyes from the text. Soon after, he had found something within the book that he needed to discuss with Kald; so he could wrap his mind around what really happened.

Exiting the library with the book in hand, he turned the corner to head towards the Kald's study, however when he reached the first hall which led to the dormitories he saw Natasia leaning back against the wall. Her blonde hair cascaded down over her face and her whole body trembled as she held onto herself with her hands. One was at her thigh -or so he thought- and the other was draped across her chest as if shielding herself from exposure to the cold. Seeing her breathing come in short pants, Bayne rushed into the hall to see if she was alright.

"Natasia... Natasia are you ok?" He asked as he dropped the book and took her arms in his hands. His eyes met hers and noticed that a glaze of sorts had taken them over, but she soon regained herself and moved away from him. He heard her mumble something about being fine, then ran off towards her room. Not sure what was going on Bayne just retrieved his book and went off to question Kald about the text he had found.

Back in the here and now, Bayne had the desire to go and see if he had wronged her in some way, but hesitated thinking perhaps she was cold as she claimed she was. Lost in the confusion of it all, Bayne collapsed into the closest chair and lost himself in his thought as he tried to decipher what he could have done wrong. Time passed quickly as Bayne stared into the fire,lost in his thoughts, soon however he got the feeling he was not alone.

 

[AngelRavenWing]

The kitten was nestled on her bed, of all places, sleeping soundly. Natasia took a few moments to cuddle with the little one, loving the feel of the kitten's soft fur and the melody of it's purr against her skin. But, she had work to do, and quickly brought the kitten back to Kiara.

"Oh Sia" That was what Kiara called Natasia "Thank you and Thank Bayne, so much for finding my kittens" She was practically shaking with relief now that all the kittens were back in her room and safe. Natasia smiled. Kiara could always make her smile. Looking at the girl always seemed to bring back the sweetest memories of her own childhood. Like Bayne, Natasia often wondered if Kald had indeed fathered Kiara with the Maiden. But it was none of her business.

What she did know was that Kald loved the little girl as much as He loved both she and Bayne. And she was not even His blood daughter.

A sudden thought, something she had never considered til now, for whatever reason. Was Bayne really His son? Or was He an orphan as she had been? And why hadn;t she thought of that before? She had always assumed that Bayne was Kald's natural son.

She shook the thoughts from her mind when Kiara tugged on her robes. "Can I come with you, Sia?" the little one begged.

"Kiara, I'm only going to wash dishes and clean the dining area" but the look of disappointment on the little one's face was too much for Natasia to bare. "Of course you can, I'd love the company" The girl smiled brightly and followed Natasia to the kitchens. She had to admit, having Kiara around made the task of washing and drying the dishes a heck of a lot more fun, and in fact, they ended up having a water fight.

Kiara, dripping from head to toe, slipped into the study where Bayne was, never seeing Him lounging in the overstuffed chair. She was softly giggling, as she hid in the shadows near the door. The fire in the hearth was dying, and the room dim. She just waited for Natasia, hoping to soak her with the skin of water she now held in her little hands. Natasia, on the other side of the door, had a similiar skin, filled with water, and she too quietly snuck into the study, not expecting to see Bayne, only expecting to see the little one.

"I got you" Kiara almost yelled, but Natasia quickly silenced her by slipping one hand over the girl's mouth and motioning to the chair and Bayne. No words slipped past the girl's lips. It was clear, just by the sparkle in Natasia's eyes what she was thinking and the girl quickly nodded her understanding.

The 2 of them slowly, and silently, creeped up on Bayne. While startling Natasia had never been a good idea, that did not stop her from sneaking up on Bayne on occassion, when she felt overly playful.

A moment later, and both girls soaked Bayne with the water, and themselves for that matter, laughing and giggling as they did so. While Kiara was fully clothed still, Natasia was in nothing but a soft, pale white robe, that, now that it was soaking wet, clung to every curve of her body. She was laughing herself silly at Bayne's expression when Kiara straightened, hearing her mother calling.

"Gotta go" she called out and ran from the room, leaving Natasia and Bayne alone.

"Sorry, Sorry, but You were too good a target to pass up" she laughingly apologized, taking a deep breath, her now nearly visable breasts beneath the transparent white of the robe, rising and falling with her motions, dark pink nipples peaking from the chill that now embraced them.

 

[Jeremy Davis]

The sudden rush of cold water tore Bayne from his thoughts and he leapt from the chair sputtering as he looked to see who assaulted him with the liquid weapon. His eyes quickly looked upon Natasia and Kiara as they both shared a giggle at his expense. Dispite being upset at first, their laughter became infectious and a soft smile soon crept its way across his face and his eyes flickered with his famous brattish smile.

Kiara left quickly after hearing her mothers call leaving the two orphans alone in the hall. At first he looked himself over seeing that his doublet and breeches were soaked, then he looked at Natasia and saw that her white nightgown was soaked as well. Figuring that the two girls must have been fighting with the dishwater much like he and Natasia used to do when they were young and Kald made the mistake of giving them the task of cleaning the dishes and the kitchen up. Most of the time, Anya ended up cleaning up a bigger mess than there was before, but she would always say "Children need to be children," despite the ravings of Kald.

Bayne listened to Natasia's apology and shook his head hearing that they would take advantage of him like that. "I doubt you are as sorry as you claim, however if I were in your place I doubt that I could pass up such a chance myself."

He ran his fingers through his hair, then slowly started to unbuttoned his doublet, opening it up and taking it off, his well toned chest and abs becoming exposed to the chill in the air. He then wrung the water from it and put it on the chair. A wave of playfulness passed over him and he became aware that he would have to respond to this affront to him or else she would get away with it. Quickly, he went in for the kill and tickled Natasia mercilessly, making her collapse into him as he carried her to the floor and pinned her down with his body so that she could not get away.

As his hands moved along her sides, his fingers gaining their retribution from the dousing he had withstanded, his legs parted and fell so that they entwined between hers.

"Say mercy." He teased as he continued the tickling. Suddenly he felt a stirring growing within him and he rolled off of her, putting some space between them. It wasn't that he had never had this feeling before, just never when they were teasing one another. His eyes took hers as she sat up and looked over at him, then they drifted over her body from the line of her jaw, down her neck, and over the swell of her breasts which the water caused to be all but exposed through the white gown she wore.

Realizing that he was staring at her he looked away embarrassed. "I’m...I’m sorry, Natasia. I should..." A sudden wave of guilt hit him once again and he stood and collected his doublet. "I should go and get changed." With that he started to walk to the archway that separated the room from the hall to the dormitories, but something told him to stop and he looked back at her as if he was going to say something else.

 

[AngelRavenWing]

Tickling.

That was one of her weaknesses. Natasia was very, very ticklish.

And, Bayne knew that.

He was atop her, she pinned beneath the strength of His body. She was writhing, squirming, and laughing nearly hysterically. He was much too strong for her to fend off, especially when He was tickling her like this. He hadn't done this in a very long time.

"Say mercy"

She shook her head. No way would she give Him that satisfaction, at least not yet! But a moment later, He rolled off her. It took Natasia a few moments to get her breath from her laughing, her body swaying as she gasped slightly, her chest rising and falling. It was not like Bayne to give up before she begged mercy. In His younger years, He had been relentless, not stopping until she was crying from laughing, begging mercy.

That was when she felt His eyes on her, slowly roaming over her, caressing, almost possessive. She hadn't even turned to look at Him yet, but still she could feel the heat of His gaze.

"why did You stop?" she asked as she did look toward Him. She had thought she felt something. But He had rolled off her so fast, she was no longer sure just what she felt.

He was staring at her. His eyes almost looking glazed over as they slowly moved along her still nearly naked form.

"I’m...I’m sorry, Natasia. I should..."

"I should go and get changed."


He turned away before she could say anything. But then again, what would she even say? That she was in love with Him? That she dreamed about Him? He saw her like a little sister, that would have been a disgusting thought to Him. Was it disgusting? Why did she feel this way over someone that she had been raised with, as if He were her older Brother????

But, she never, NEVER, saw Him that way. He was her best friend in the world. The ONLY one she trusted other than Kald and the Maid. And, she was in Love with Him.

Years ago, He would walk her to her chamber, before running to His own to bathe and change after a water fight, or a rousing game of Bola. Now, He had turned His back to her and was walking away.

"Did, did I do something wrong Bayne?" she quietly asked. "For the longest time, You just don't even seem to notice much about me anymore. We were best friends. What, what happened?"

 

[Jeremy Davis]

He hesitated hearing her talk about their friendship and saw that she was just as confused as he was. Bayne turned around and looked at her as she lay on the floor where he left her.

"You...you didn't do anything wrong, Natasia. You will always be my best friend. It's just..." He searched her face as he tried to find the words for how he felt. Expressing his feeling wasn't something he was good at and he was just not starting to see Natasia in a new light for the first time. Before she was just a girl, then she was a friend, now she started to stir emotions within him that he had never experienced for her before.

Seeing the fear in her face and her eyes shining as tears started to well within them, he walked over and lifted her to her feet before drawing her into his arms, holding her against him.

"I'm sorry, it's just that I started to feel something that I've never felt before and it scared me." He leaned back away from her and brushed a few errant hairs from her face.

It had been a long time since she was just that girl Kald had brought home with him. Together they both grew up before each other eyes, only Bayne's vision was blurred by studies, but something tonight had cleared his vision and for the first time he was looking at Natasia for what she had become… a beautiful woman.

"Why don't we go and get some tea and sit down and work this out?" he asked as his eyes once again searched hers to see if she understood what he was trying to say.