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Post by Brennus Nir on Aug 8, 2012 18:17:39 GMT -5
Brennus ambled through the trees leading his horse behind him. He was exhausted; he had just come from a small village frought with revolt. Brennus had been bought off by the lord the villagers were revolting against and wth the help of a few other heavily armed soldiers had put down the revolution. There weren't many jobs that made Brennus' his morals, but this one had been one of those times. Shaking his head to get rid of the memories Brennus kept moving forward.
It wasn't long before he broke through the trees and was greeted by sand and water. Brennus sighed heavily, breathing in the salty air. As he walked through the sand his fatigue nearly became too much; he felt heavy, weighted down by his swords and armor. With some strain he hauled himself up into the saddle and steered his horse forward along the waves.
It wasn't long before Brennus saw a thin tendril of smoke snaking up into the sky. As he rode on he could just see the shape of a small cottage tucked in on the edge of the trees, maybe the person who lived there would allow him to rest for a while. He urged his horse on faster and in no time they were up to the house.
Sliding from the saddle, Brennus moved towards the door and knocked on it loudly. Hopefully someone would be home...
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Post by Lilith Adonia on Aug 8, 2012 19:10:03 GMT -5
Lilith gently stirred the flames as a pot boiled above with a mysterious liquid. From it arose a strong aroma that made her want to both pinch her nose and breathe it in deeply. The fire quickly warmed up the small cottage, and so Lilith had to continuously prop a window open to endure not only its heat, but the summer's as well. She got up from her stool and crossed the wooden floor to reach a certain bundle of herbs suspended from a beam above, which not only supported the dozens of herbs but the low ceiling as well. She snapped off a handful of leaves and flung them into the pot. She hummed to herself as she worked. The mixture now emitted a sweet aroma that tickled her nose.
Lilith pulled out a wooden bowl and ladled the liquid into it. She swirled it around with her finger before bringing it up to her lips to taste it. Perfect. Lilith dipped in a spoon and was about to consume the mixture when a knock rang through her cottage. She jumped and dropped the spoon into her soup. What?! Everyone from the village knows the witch lives here. Who dares approach me?!
Lilith cautiously rose and pushed her bowl away. She reached the door, and for the first time she wished she had placed a peep-hole in the door. Hoping her reputation of dark magic would protect her, she slowly pulled open the door partway, concealing most of her body behind the oak.
Before her stood a sweaty man in stained armor standing beside a wearied horse. Her eyes widened. A horse!
"May I help you?" Her lips barely moved as she spoke. Her eyes flickered between his black and white ferocious beast and the man's scarred face.
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Post by Brennus Nir on Aug 8, 2012 19:20:54 GMT -5
Brennus was slightly surprised when the door opened and a young woman peeped through the crack at him. He took a deep breath in through his nose and could smell something sweet escaping out of the cabin, the smell made him feel content and groggy.
"Um, I'm sorry to bother you, but is there anyway you could possibly provide me with shelter for the night? i have traveled a long way and am very tired, and I would be very grateful," He said as pleasently as he could. The woman appeared to be anxious and then he realized that she was looking at his horse. A smile broke out on his face.
"Are you scared of Bartholomew?" Brennus asked pointing at the horse. "He, of course, wouldn't need shelter in your cottage, I would tie him up out back. He's harmless really," Again he smiled at the woman to show that he meant her no harm, but in the back of his mind he was already planning where else he may need to go if she turned him away.
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Post by Lilith Adonia on Aug 8, 2012 19:52:26 GMT -5
Lilith eyed the beast. She didn't believe the stranger in the slightest. Horses hated her, and she had a scar on her hip to prove it. She stepped outside and closed the door, her dark red skirt swishing behind her. She raised herself on her toes to try to look the tall man in the eyes. Not saying a word, she scrutinized him. His eyes were the color of cloves, yet they shone in the fading sunset as though they hid a cavern full of secrets. Lilith's curiosity and lack of human contact got the better of her. She reluctantly decided that the horse would be able to stay as well. She stepped away and gestured to her cottage.
"You are welcome here..." She opened the door and stepped inside. Before she let him enter, she stopped and looked over her shoulder at him. "...for a time. Tie up your horse." Lilith left the door open as she waited for him to do so. She pulled her bowl back out along with a spare, into which she ladled more of her soup. She pulled out another stool beside the small wooden table. She wondered where she would have him sleep. There wasn’t much room in the small, herb-filled cottage for one person to sleep, let alone two. She supposed she would have to rearrange some of her furniture to make room.
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Post by Brennus Nir on Aug 8, 2012 20:09:58 GMT -5
Brennus sighed in relief when the woman said he could stay. When she told him to tie his horse up out back he happily obliged, leading Bartholomew out back pulling off his saddle and blanket and setting them aside. Once he was secured, Brennus moved towards the cottage door and entered the small building.
He was greeted by a wave of sweet smells and warmth. The beams of the cottage were covered in drying herbs. Slowly he walked in and closed the door behind him. "Your cottage is beautiful," Brennus mumbled. He saw her move a stool towards the table for him to sit down on. Before he sat down he heaved off his armor and chain mail, leaving on him tunic, and put the armor in a corner on the floor. It was such a relief to get that off and he sat down on the stool heavily, gladly taking the soup she offered.
He sniffed the soup warily at first, it smelled sweet, like nothing he had smelled before but after the first spoonful, he ate the rest quickly, savoring every drop. "That was delicious." He set the bowl down on the table and looked at the girl.
"Sooo, what are you doing living all the way out here by yourself and not in the village?" Brennus asked. He was trying to make small talk, but he knew he wasn't very good at it, he wasn't good at talking to people.
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Post by Lilith Adonia on Aug 8, 2012 20:56:32 GMT -5
Lilith slowly consumed her bowl of soup and watched him as he made himself comfortable. She didn't physically acknowledge the compliment, but inside her heart stirred. She couldn't imagine anyone other than herself that would find this mess "beautiful." Suddenly she noticed how dirty his tunic was.
"Sooo, what are you doing living all the way out here by yourself and not in the village?"
"There's a fresh water stream naught a mile north from here that empties into the ocean. You can wash there if you like." She avoided the question on purpose. It had been quite nosy, and she was not prepared to answer such a personal question from a stranger.
Lilith scooped up their bowls and placed them in a tin bucket on another table. “I suggest you bathe soon, before the sky darkens." After being isolated for six years, she didn’t feel the need to socialize. She hardly spoke to the vendors in the village, simply asking for the prices of certain exotic plants such as wolfsbane.
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Post by Brennus Nir on Aug 8, 2012 21:18:40 GMT -5
Brennus was taken aback at her comment about him going to bathe, but this was her house and he would oblige, even if she had been somewhat insulting. "Um, alright, I'll be back..." He stood and exited the cottage. As he left a thought occured to him and he went and grabbed Bartholomew, he could wash Bart while he was at it.
It didn't take him long to find the stream she had mentioned. Quickly he stripped out of his dirty clothes and waded into the cold water, leading Bart in behind him. The horse stood in the water patiently as Brennus went about washing himself and then his steed. After he had throughly cleaned himself he moved onto his clothes, srubbing them in the rushing water.
It was getting dark when Brennus climbed out of the water. He had laid his clothes out to dry after he had washed them and he slipped back into his pants, but when he went to grab his tunic he saw that there was a large rip in. He quietly cursed himself and headed back towards the little cottage, making sure to tie Bartholomew back up before he entered.
"I apologize about my current condition," He held up the shirt to show her, "But it ripped." Brennus moved over to where he had set down his things and searched through them to see it he had another shirt, but he had none.
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