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<blockquote data-quote="Emperor Valerian" data-source="post: 1384535" data-attributes="member: 15043"><p><strong>Musings</strong></p><p></p><p><em>It really is beautiful out here.</em>She mused, eyes tracing the curves of the dunes. <em>I wonder what it’ll be like when this is all over. I wonder if we’ll even still be alive…</em> She then sighed softly as she heard Lucius’ distinctive gait making its way over to where she sat. <em>I really need to teach him to walk quieter….</em></p><p></p><p>“Hi, Luke.” She said shortly as he plopped to the ground next to her. </p><p></p><p>“What’cha doing out here again, Siabrey?” he slid his fingers across the grainy ground between them and stroked her fingers gently.</p><p></p><p>She shrugged. “Just thinking.”</p><p></p><p>“Anything you want to tell me about?” he gave her a sideways attempt at a grin that slid off his face as she didn’t return it.</p><p></p><p>She sighed again, then leaned over to give him a quick kiss. “I’m just worried, Luke. That’s all. There’s so much going on that we’re stuck in the middle of.” <em>Not to mention the fact that your magic seems to be taking over even outside the battlefield…</em> She blew out a breath. “I miss my mother too. I don’t know how I’m ever going to possibly fit all of this in a letter…” After that she fell silent, and Luke took the hint that she wanted to be alone.</p><p></p><p>As he started walking off though, he stopped after taking only a few steps, and turned back around to sit with her again. At her questioning glance he merely shrugged and drapped his arms across his legs. “I just wanted to be with you.” Siabrey gave him a warm smile, before turning to stare out across the burning dunes again. They sat several inches apart, not needing to touch, but being close in their silence.</p><p></p><p>Although the beating sun wasn’t bothering Siabrey at all, Lucius began to sweat profusely. “I’m sorry sweetie, but I’m going to have to go sit in the shade. Unlike you, I’m not half desert lord.” Siabrey smiled at him again, but her eyes were still focused on the dunes. “Ok sweetie. I’ll come back in a bit ok.” As Lucius stood he gave her a soft kiss on the head. “Don’t stay out here too long.” She nodded absently, leaving Lucius with a slightly miffed feeling. He wasn’t used to being ignored in favor of acres of sand and sun.</p><p></p><p>He headed back to sit in the shelter of the outcropping where they had stayed the night before. Elenya was cooking some sort of stew over the fire, occasionally rapping Shaun’s fingers as he tried to dart in to steal a taste. Grumki was proclaiming quite loudly to the shocked looking paladins what a battle of strength between Kord and Hironeaous would be like. Tess, the sane one, was calmly tuning her harp and composing a song for Siabrey and her father. Lucius sat down near to her and took a swig from his canteen. After a few minutes of listening to Tess come up with rhymes for ‘fire-eyes’ and ‘hair of gold’ he tried to interject with a few pointers about Siabrey’s beauty. After tolerating his attempts at ‘helping’, Tess finally told him that his descriptions were slightly too…<em>lewd</em> for the common barroom crowd.</p><p></p><p>Lucius pouted. “But it was my birthday two days ago, Tess. Can’t I help as a birthday present?” Tess laughed in mild surprise. “So you’re what, 17 now?” <em>So now Siabrey’s only seven years older than you rather than eight.</em> Lucius nodded happily. “So, can I help now?” </p><p></p><p>Tess rolled her eyes. <em>He’s never going to leave, unless…</em> She pulled a piece of paper and a stylus from her pack and thrust them at Lucius. “Here, write your own song, and maybe I’ll add music to it later.” <em>Maybe... though if you keep writing things like that...</em></p><p></p><p>Looking like he’d just received the world’s greatest gift, Lucius grabbed the writing materials eagerly and sat down on a rock across from Tess, the stylus already scratching across the paper. Occasionally Tess heard him murmuring to himself, and one he asked her “Tess, what rhymes with...?”</p><p></p><p>Tess’s fingers, normally quite skilled, dragged across her harp strings producing a high-pitched shriek. <em>What are you writing, Lucius? A song or an nudie essay?</em> A quick glance at his paper confirmed that it was, in fact, the latter, and she blushed at some of his descriptions of Siabrey’s ‘assets.’ <em>That description he wrote is... well... OVERGENEROUS in my opinion. Then again, he is only 17...</em> She then saw one particular cantrain and sighed, <em>Logically, Luke, how would you be able to walk if that section were true?</em> She rolled her eyes and settled down to ignoring Lucius, who gasped in sudden realization and scrawled down a word that looked suspiciously like...</p><p></p><p><em>Did he actually WRITE that? What an amateur…that doesn’t even rhyme!</em>Tess’s musical side of her mind thought, before the other non-perverted side gave it a slap.</p><p></p><p>Lucius finished not long later, and ran out into the desert to hand his ‘poem’ to Siabrey with a grin as wide as the horizon. She accepted it graciously before glancing over it and blushing deeply.</p><p></p><p><em>Hmm, not bad….’Her eyes are gorgeous, fierce and red; I love it when she…’ Oh god, did he actually write this?</em> She glanced at Lucius, who looked for all the world like a puppy waiting to be rewarded for bringing his master his slippers. <em>I could so see him like that sometimes,</em> her mind playfully wandered.</p><p></p><p>“Tess wouldn’t change her song to include these lyrics.” Lucius explained, pointing out the offending couplets. “Even though my birthday just passed.”</p><p></p><p>Siabrey’s eyes shifted quickly from the overly descriptive lyrics to Lucius’ face. “Your birthday?! Why didn’t you tell me?”</p><p></p><p>Lucius shrugged. “What with everything that’s been happening, I just forgot.”</p><p></p><p>Siabrey mind was whirling. <em>I need to get him a present…but what?</em> Suddenly she had an idea. “Wait here, I’ll be back soon.” She thrust the paper back into Lucius’ hands, and took off at a dead run into the desert. Tess noticed and the harp gave another ‘sqawk’ as her fingeres grasped reflexively. </p><p></p><p>“Where is she going?!” she yelled out to Lucius, who stood staring after Siabrey’s fast receding dust-cloud. He merely shrugged and turned, a half-smile on his face. </p><p></p><p>“Gaaaah!” she yelled out loud, throwing up her hands in frustration. <em>This party is harder to keep track of than a pack of druids with trackless boots and haste!</em> </p><p></p><p>Siabrey returned a few hours later, looking dusty and disheveled, but a big smile on her face. “Here, Lucius. Happy birthday.” She held out a small wooden eagle that she had carved from a dried piece of sand-washed white wood. Its wings were half-furled to catch an invisible breeze, and it mouth open as though a silent scream of fury echoed from its throat. As she held it out to him she leaned forward and whispered in his ear suggestively. “I’ll give you the other half of your present next time we’re alone…”</p><p></p><p>Lucius froze, the eagle forgotten, as his eyes took in Siabrey’s hand-on-hip, chest thrust slightly forward stance. “Um, it’s daylight now. We could probably sneak off so I can get my present now…” he smiled and reached out a hand to rub his fingers around her wrist as his voice dropped huskily. “I learned some new <strong><em>spells</em></strong>...” he began, and Siabrey’s eyes widened momentarily in surprise.. then narrowed with a grin. </p><p></p><p>“What kind of...” she started to ask, before stopping and deciding to just run and find out. “Let’s go!” The two ran over to camp, grabbed her pack, and took off running into the desert, giggling the whole way. Tess didn’t even bother asking, but merely waved her hand over her shoulder at them. “If you get into trouble, just read them your poem, Lucius. They’d probably die of embarrassment!” she shouted.</p><p></p><p><em>Just like a bunch of horny kids</em> Tess’ mind fumed slightly. <em>We’re in the middle of the desert, came under attack from nasties the night before, an army on the hunt for us, and they can only think about... GAH!</em></p><p></p><p>Three hours later, the pair returned much happier, and even more disheveled. Once again, Siabrey was her normal goofy post-time with Lucius self, and laughed as Grumki and Shaun got into a rock throwing contest (Grumki, of course, won).</p><p></p><p>The competition brought her fighting blood to the surface, and coupled with her immense joviality, she decided to lure Lucius into a sparring contest.</p><p></p><p>“Hey Luke!” she called over to the boy who was once again working on his ‘poetry.’ “I need a sparring partner? Want to give it a whirl?”</p><p></p><p>“Not really,” he looked up with a smile, “you’re much too fast with your sword. Besides,” he winked, “I need a little rest after...”</p><p></p><p>“Pleaseee?” she sauntered up to him, batting her eyelashes. <em>Innocent pleading should do the trick of persuasion...</em></p><p></p><p>Lucius looked at her, gave a chuckle, and stood up. “Alright... alright. Let me get my sword. What are we going towards?”</p><p></p><p>“Best two out of three!” Siabrey grinned. “I hope you last as long here as you did just an hour ago!”</p><p></p><p>“We’ll see,” he laughed, carrying his sheathed blade out to meet her. </p><p></p><p><em>Ok,</em> her mind began the standard eyeing of her ‘opponent,’ if she could use that word for her love, before the first blow was even thrown. <em>My blade is smaller… sharper… his is big, clumsy and heavy,</em> she thought as he pulled out his bastard sword. <em>His advantage is coming down from above… the sheer weight of his blade can carry the day… I must be fast, so his blade lands on thin air. Then I can strike from the side…</em> her mind plotted.</p><p></p><p>She watched with some pleasure as Lucius, as predicted, hefted his sword above his head before the fight. She adopted a low guard position, her blade angled towards the ground, at a slight left slant. <em>Cut up and left, push his blade aside, and flit towards his throat… that’ll end it in one fell swoop.</em></p><p></p><p>The two stared at each other, Siabrey trying to focus, but Lucius maintained a half grin on his face… which troubled her.</p><p></p><p><em>Don’t smile when you are in the midst of a spar…</em> her mind silently commanded him, but he did not understand her furrowed brow or rather stern look. <em>Well then, if you won’t focus, this means an easy match for me…</em></p><p></p><p>In a flash, her blade slashed upwards, catching his just as he started his downward swing. Her left slash drove his blade away from her, and with such force that it flew out of his hands and sailed into the desert sands some five feet away. Her sword then rotated back, ending a good six inches from his neck. A true spar would have had her blade ending only an inch away.</p><p></p><p>“I win,” she grinned. “Again?” </p><p></p><p>“Um… no. You won kinda handily there,” Lucius said quietly, holding his hands up in surrender.</p><p></p><p>“No! No no no no… you have to go again! Its two out of three, remember?” she giggled, and ran over to pick up his sword, and tossed it back to him. “C’mon!” She then adopted an alternate route, and walked rather sultrily towards him and grinned, “Pleaseeeee?”</p><p></p><p>Lucius gave a huff, and swung his blade around a bit as Siabrey grinned in triumph and took her old position. “C’mon now, Luke… surprise me with your skills!” He still was idly swinging his blade around with no real motion in mind.</p><p></p><p><em>C’mon… any day now…</em> she thought, her stance and tenseness slowly relaxing. <em>Will he ever stop those practice swings?</em></p><p></p><p>As if answering her unspoken criticism, his blade suddenly whirled towards her, and it was with the barest of margins that her katana blocked the swing. She slid her sword down his own, only to find that he skillfully used the guard to shove her blade back… and the fight was on.</p><p></p><p>For another ten minutes, the swords danced through the air… Siabrey’s skill and speed versus Lucius’ brute power and weight. Finally, she once again caught his blade awkwardly and managed to shove it to the ground before hers was at his neck again. Breathing heavily, she laughed.</p><p></p><p>“Good fight! One more match!”</p><p></p><p>“But you’ve already won best two out of three,” Lucius complained, resting his hands on his knees. “Its hot… its not good sparring weather. You have an unfair advantage!”</p><p></p><p>“Which is?” she walked slowly up to him again.</p><p></p><p>“You distract me with… you!” he finally said, his attempt at sounded exasperated failing due to the nascent grin slowly forming on his face.</p><p></p><p>“Then pretend I’m someone else! C’mon!” She dragged him back to the impromptu sparring circle, and laughed, “Pretend I’m Shaun!”</p><p></p><p>Lucius’ face squinched. “Why on earth would I do that?” he spat, and in a flash, his blade was already flying through the air.</p><p></p><p><em>Dang, he’s fast,</em> Siabrey thought as once again she barely parried his swing, and the two settled for ringing blows yet again… this time for almost twenty minutes. By that point, Lucius was almost gasping for air, and merely dropped his blade. </p><p></p><p>“Ok ok… you win,” he held his hands up. “I can’t fight like that anymore… its no fair… you wore me out before the sparring even began!”</p><p></p><p>“All is fair in love and war,” Siabrey grinned, kissing him, “and to be fair, I think your new spell wore me out more.” He laughed.</p><p></p><p>The party in the meantime had spent the last forty-five minutes watching the two spar, and at the end Shaun remarked, “Well there’s a strange couple if I ever saw one. They wear each other out on the sands, then on the battlefield, and then back out on the sands again…” Tess merely rolled her eyes, and considered adding another song to her growing list about thieves and their stupid comments.</p><p></p><p>It was nearing dusk when Shaun spotted, far in the distance, a sparkling light that as it drew nearer, turned out to be Kelir.</p><p></p><p>“Kelir!” Siabrey ran up and gave her rather surprised father a hug. “How was your trip? Did you find the other siabrie?”</p><p></p><p>Shaun laughed silently to himself. <em>She’s a completely different person after time with Lucius…I really need to arrange for them to be alone more often.</em></p><p></p><p>Kelir gazed down happily at his daughter, and gave her a small nod. “There was a meeting of siabrie today. That has not happened in 300 years…” he mused. </p><p></p><p><em>His language…he speaks nearly perfect Common now!</em> “Did you remember our language, dad?”</p><p></p><p>He nodded. “Yes, I had much time to reflect on it as I flew.”</p><p></p><p>Tess, who was waiting nearby, cleared her throat. “I hate to interrupt, but what did the other siabrie say?”</p><p></p><p>Kelir stretched out a long arm and pointed to the north. “Mathasar is unwilling. Although he is young and very violent, he refuses to leave his territory. He promises that he will take care of any ‘unwanted visitors’ that pass through his land though. The only other siabrie nearby is Haran. He is willing, but…I don’t know how much help he will be. He is a little…” Kelir pointed to his head and rolled his eyes. “nuts I believe is the word?”</p><p></p><p>Tess sighed. “Well, we probably wouldn’t want a crazy siabrie on our side anyway.”</p><p></p><p>“Or a violent one.” Siabrey added. Her eyes were on her father though, and her muscles tingled pleasently from her earlier bouts with Lucius. <em>Hmm…</em></p><p></p><p>“I will help you though. Tomorrow morning, I shall lead you to the ruins of the Temple of Hextor.” Kelir finished speaking to Tess.</p><p></p><p>“Hey, Kelir. Can I show you something?” Siabrey voiced suddenly, her mind made up.</p><p></p><p>The siabrie turned crimson eyes on her and nodded. “Of course, daughter. What is it?”</p><p></p><p>“Well,” Siabrey felt embarrassed all of a sudden. <em>Stodiana always thought my skills with the sword were magnificent, how will my father, the creature that re-forged it, feel…</em> “Would you like to see my skill with my katana?”</p><p></p><p>The siabrie fluttered his wings happily. “I would dearly like to, daughter. I saw only a glimpse of it in battle.”</p><p></p><p>Siabrey smiled broadly and gave her father a little bow, before dashing over to ask Lucius to spar with her after she finished her practice movements.</p><p></p><p>Taking up a position in a ring of sand, she closed her eyes and pressed her hand together, emptying her mind of all thoughts, save one. With eyes closed, she pictured a single horizontal line hovering behind her closed eyelids. Mentally she wove a coil of fire around that line, tighter and faster till it blurred and a single dancing flame rose before her eyes. Drawing her katana swiftly, she raised it in a silent salute to the dancing flame before swinging the blade three times in rapid succession. In her mind’s eyes, the flame parted around the blade and formed itself into four equal balls, which she then quartered with a backspin and a stab alongside her left side. Lightly leaping into the air, her right foot hit the spot where her left had been moments before as she thrust forward and twirled the blade in one-handed, effectively extinguishing all the flames. Stepping back, she sheathed the katana fluidly and gave a small bow to the now empty battlefield in her mind. Opening her eyes, she wasn’t surprised to see all of her friends gaping at her. </p><p></p><p>“That was Hawoash’s 13th rapture.” She stroked the hilt of her sword fondly. “One of my favorite movements.”</p><p></p><p>Lucius gulped. <em>And she wants me to</em>spar<em> with her. She’d slice me apart!</em></p><p></p><p>Siabrey turned to Lucius and gave another half-bow, the smile still on her face. “Will you spare with me now my love?”</p><p></p><p>“Nice knowing you, Luke,” Shaun patted the young man on the back as Lucius stumbled cautiously into the ring. </p><p></p><p><em>Why is he stumbling? Did I really tire him out that much?</em> she wanted to laugh. For her father’s sake, she kept a straight, if half grinning face, as Lucius set his sword into stance.</p><p></p><p><em>Wait,</em> she thought with concern, <em>He doesn’t have his blade high over his head now. What’s he up to? Surely he doesn’t think he can spin around that huge bastard sword like…</em></p><p></p><p>His upward thrust cracked into her katana, and before she realized what was happening, her sword was wrenched from her hands and landed in the sands outside of the circle.</p><p></p><p><em>He copied my move!</em> she wanted to shriek in surprise. <em>Down to the form! Everything!</em> Lucius gave a smile to Kelir as he bowed to him, and an enormous smirk as he bowed to the still shocked Siabrey, and turned to leave the ring. Just outside, an annoyed looking Tess grabbed him and whispered something in his ear. He turned around, and marched back into the ring rather sullenly.</p><p></p><p>“I guess there should be another match,” he said quietly, and Siabrey realized what Tess had told him… “Lose in front of her father!”</p><p></p><p><em>But I don’t want him to throw the match… this is now a challenge!</em> she licked her lips, watching as he took another stance, different from others she’d seen him use before. <em>He learns fast… </em></p><p></p><p>Both lunged at the same time, and for the next ten minutes their swords sang the song of battle. She noticed that unlike what Tess undoubtedly told him, he was fighting with every last breath in his body, not holding back, and she had to keep a laugh from breaking her lips. <em>I really love this guy! I have a new sparring partner!</em></p><p></p><p>Finally, Siabrey’s speed won the day, as she blocked a thrust from his sword, and undercut his motion to deftly place her blade inches from his stomach. He lowered his sword, smiled, and said loud enough that Kelir would hear, “I didn’t hold back. I wanted to win.”</p><p></p><p>“I know,” she hugged him, as Tess and Shaun looked to Kelir in a mix of horror and despair as their plot was openly breached. To their relief, Kelir merely chuckled, and remarked that it was a match even better than those he and Stodiana used to have.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Emperor Valerian, post: 1384535, member: 15043"] [b]Musings[/b] [I]It really is beautiful out here.[/I]She mused, eyes tracing the curves of the dunes. [I]I wonder what it’ll be like when this is all over. I wonder if we’ll even still be alive…[/I] She then sighed softly as she heard Lucius’ distinctive gait making its way over to where she sat. [I]I really need to teach him to walk quieter….[/I] “Hi, Luke.” She said shortly as he plopped to the ground next to her. “What’cha doing out here again, Siabrey?” he slid his fingers across the grainy ground between them and stroked her fingers gently. She shrugged. “Just thinking.” “Anything you want to tell me about?” he gave her a sideways attempt at a grin that slid off his face as she didn’t return it. She sighed again, then leaned over to give him a quick kiss. “I’m just worried, Luke. That’s all. There’s so much going on that we’re stuck in the middle of.” [I]Not to mention the fact that your magic seems to be taking over even outside the battlefield…[/I] She blew out a breath. “I miss my mother too. I don’t know how I’m ever going to possibly fit all of this in a letter…” After that she fell silent, and Luke took the hint that she wanted to be alone. As he started walking off though, he stopped after taking only a few steps, and turned back around to sit with her again. At her questioning glance he merely shrugged and drapped his arms across his legs. “I just wanted to be with you.” Siabrey gave him a warm smile, before turning to stare out across the burning dunes again. They sat several inches apart, not needing to touch, but being close in their silence. Although the beating sun wasn’t bothering Siabrey at all, Lucius began to sweat profusely. “I’m sorry sweetie, but I’m going to have to go sit in the shade. Unlike you, I’m not half desert lord.” Siabrey smiled at him again, but her eyes were still focused on the dunes. “Ok sweetie. I’ll come back in a bit ok.” As Lucius stood he gave her a soft kiss on the head. “Don’t stay out here too long.” She nodded absently, leaving Lucius with a slightly miffed feeling. He wasn’t used to being ignored in favor of acres of sand and sun. He headed back to sit in the shelter of the outcropping where they had stayed the night before. Elenya was cooking some sort of stew over the fire, occasionally rapping Shaun’s fingers as he tried to dart in to steal a taste. Grumki was proclaiming quite loudly to the shocked looking paladins what a battle of strength between Kord and Hironeaous would be like. Tess, the sane one, was calmly tuning her harp and composing a song for Siabrey and her father. Lucius sat down near to her and took a swig from his canteen. After a few minutes of listening to Tess come up with rhymes for ‘fire-eyes’ and ‘hair of gold’ he tried to interject with a few pointers about Siabrey’s beauty. After tolerating his attempts at ‘helping’, Tess finally told him that his descriptions were slightly too…[I]lewd[/I] for the common barroom crowd. Lucius pouted. “But it was my birthday two days ago, Tess. Can’t I help as a birthday present?” Tess laughed in mild surprise. “So you’re what, 17 now?” [I]So now Siabrey’s only seven years older than you rather than eight.[/I] Lucius nodded happily. “So, can I help now?” Tess rolled her eyes. [I]He’s never going to leave, unless…[/I] She pulled a piece of paper and a stylus from her pack and thrust them at Lucius. “Here, write your own song, and maybe I’ll add music to it later.” [I]Maybe... though if you keep writing things like that...[/I] Looking like he’d just received the world’s greatest gift, Lucius grabbed the writing materials eagerly and sat down on a rock across from Tess, the stylus already scratching across the paper. Occasionally Tess heard him murmuring to himself, and one he asked her “Tess, what rhymes with...?” Tess’s fingers, normally quite skilled, dragged across her harp strings producing a high-pitched shriek. [I]What are you writing, Lucius? A song or an nudie essay?[/I] A quick glance at his paper confirmed that it was, in fact, the latter, and she blushed at some of his descriptions of Siabrey’s ‘assets.’ [I]That description he wrote is... well... OVERGENEROUS in my opinion. Then again, he is only 17...[/I] She then saw one particular cantrain and sighed, [i]Logically, Luke, how would you be able to walk if that section were true?[/i] She rolled her eyes and settled down to ignoring Lucius, who gasped in sudden realization and scrawled down a word that looked suspiciously like... [I]Did he actually WRITE that? What an amateur…that doesn’t even rhyme![/I]Tess’s musical side of her mind thought, before the other non-perverted side gave it a slap. Lucius finished not long later, and ran out into the desert to hand his ‘poem’ to Siabrey with a grin as wide as the horizon. She accepted it graciously before glancing over it and blushing deeply. [I]Hmm, not bad….’Her eyes are gorgeous, fierce and red; I love it when she…’ Oh god, did he actually write this?[/I] She glanced at Lucius, who looked for all the world like a puppy waiting to be rewarded for bringing his master his slippers. [i]I could so see him like that sometimes,[/i] her mind playfully wandered. “Tess wouldn’t change her song to include these lyrics.” Lucius explained, pointing out the offending couplets. “Even though my birthday just passed.” Siabrey’s eyes shifted quickly from the overly descriptive lyrics to Lucius’ face. “Your birthday?! Why didn’t you tell me?” Lucius shrugged. “What with everything that’s been happening, I just forgot.” Siabrey mind was whirling. [I]I need to get him a present…but what?[/I] Suddenly she had an idea. “Wait here, I’ll be back soon.” She thrust the paper back into Lucius’ hands, and took off at a dead run into the desert. Tess noticed and the harp gave another ‘sqawk’ as her fingeres grasped reflexively. “Where is she going?!” she yelled out to Lucius, who stood staring after Siabrey’s fast receding dust-cloud. He merely shrugged and turned, a half-smile on his face. “Gaaaah!” she yelled out loud, throwing up her hands in frustration. [I]This party is harder to keep track of than a pack of druids with trackless boots and haste![/I] Siabrey returned a few hours later, looking dusty and disheveled, but a big smile on her face. “Here, Lucius. Happy birthday.” She held out a small wooden eagle that she had carved from a dried piece of sand-washed white wood. Its wings were half-furled to catch an invisible breeze, and it mouth open as though a silent scream of fury echoed from its throat. As she held it out to him she leaned forward and whispered in his ear suggestively. “I’ll give you the other half of your present next time we’re alone…” Lucius froze, the eagle forgotten, as his eyes took in Siabrey’s hand-on-hip, chest thrust slightly forward stance. “Um, it’s daylight now. We could probably sneak off so I can get my present now…” he smiled and reached out a hand to rub his fingers around her wrist as his voice dropped huskily. “I learned some new [b][i]spells[/i][/b]...” he began, and Siabrey’s eyes widened momentarily in surprise.. then narrowed with a grin. “What kind of...” she started to ask, before stopping and deciding to just run and find out. “Let’s go!” The two ran over to camp, grabbed her pack, and took off running into the desert, giggling the whole way. Tess didn’t even bother asking, but merely waved her hand over her shoulder at them. “If you get into trouble, just read them your poem, Lucius. They’d probably die of embarrassment!” she shouted. [i]Just like a bunch of horny kids[/i] Tess’ mind fumed slightly. [i]We’re in the middle of the desert, came under attack from nasties the night before, an army on the hunt for us, and they can only think about... GAH![/i] Three hours later, the pair returned much happier, and even more disheveled. Once again, Siabrey was her normal goofy post-time with Lucius self, and laughed as Grumki and Shaun got into a rock throwing contest (Grumki, of course, won). The competition brought her fighting blood to the surface, and coupled with her immense joviality, she decided to lure Lucius into a sparring contest. “Hey Luke!” she called over to the boy who was once again working on his ‘poetry.’ “I need a sparring partner? Want to give it a whirl?” “Not really,” he looked up with a smile, “you’re much too fast with your sword. Besides,” he winked, “I need a little rest after...” “Pleaseee?” she sauntered up to him, batting her eyelashes. [i]Innocent pleading should do the trick of persuasion...[/i] Lucius looked at her, gave a chuckle, and stood up. “Alright... alright. Let me get my sword. What are we going towards?” “Best two out of three!” Siabrey grinned. “I hope you last as long here as you did just an hour ago!” “We’ll see,” he laughed, carrying his sheathed blade out to meet her. [I]Ok,[/I] her mind began the standard eyeing of her ‘opponent,’ if she could use that word for her love, before the first blow was even thrown. [I]My blade is smaller… sharper… his is big, clumsy and heavy,[/I] she thought as he pulled out his bastard sword. [I]His advantage is coming down from above… the sheer weight of his blade can carry the day… I must be fast, so his blade lands on thin air. Then I can strike from the side…[/I] her mind plotted. She watched with some pleasure as Lucius, as predicted, hefted his sword above his head before the fight. She adopted a low guard position, her blade angled towards the ground, at a slight left slant. [I]Cut up and left, push his blade aside, and flit towards his throat… that’ll end it in one fell swoop.[/I] The two stared at each other, Siabrey trying to focus, but Lucius maintained a half grin on his face… which troubled her. [I]Don’t smile when you are in the midst of a spar…[/I] her mind silently commanded him, but he did not understand her furrowed brow or rather stern look. [I]Well then, if you won’t focus, this means an easy match for me…[/I] In a flash, her blade slashed upwards, catching his just as he started his downward swing. Her left slash drove his blade away from her, and with such force that it flew out of his hands and sailed into the desert sands some five feet away. Her sword then rotated back, ending a good six inches from his neck. A true spar would have had her blade ending only an inch away. “I win,” she grinned. “Again?” “Um… no. You won kinda handily there,” Lucius said quietly, holding his hands up in surrender. “No! No no no no… you have to go again! Its two out of three, remember?” she giggled, and ran over to pick up his sword, and tossed it back to him. “C’mon!” She then adopted an alternate route, and walked rather sultrily towards him and grinned, “Pleaseeeee?” Lucius gave a huff, and swung his blade around a bit as Siabrey grinned in triumph and took her old position. “C’mon now, Luke… surprise me with your skills!” He still was idly swinging his blade around with no real motion in mind. [I]C’mon… any day now…[/I] she thought, her stance and tenseness slowly relaxing. [I]Will he ever stop those practice swings?[/I] As if answering her unspoken criticism, his blade suddenly whirled towards her, and it was with the barest of margins that her katana blocked the swing. She slid her sword down his own, only to find that he skillfully used the guard to shove her blade back… and the fight was on. For another ten minutes, the swords danced through the air… Siabrey’s skill and speed versus Lucius’ brute power and weight. Finally, she once again caught his blade awkwardly and managed to shove it to the ground before hers was at his neck again. Breathing heavily, she laughed. “Good fight! One more match!” “But you’ve already won best two out of three,” Lucius complained, resting his hands on his knees. “Its hot… its not good sparring weather. You have an unfair advantage!” “Which is?” she walked slowly up to him again. “You distract me with… you!” he finally said, his attempt at sounded exasperated failing due to the nascent grin slowly forming on his face. “Then pretend I’m someone else! C’mon!” She dragged him back to the impromptu sparring circle, and laughed, “Pretend I’m Shaun!” Lucius’ face squinched. “Why on earth would I do that?” he spat, and in a flash, his blade was already flying through the air. [I]Dang, he’s fast,[/I] Siabrey thought as once again she barely parried his swing, and the two settled for ringing blows yet again… this time for almost twenty minutes. By that point, Lucius was almost gasping for air, and merely dropped his blade. “Ok ok… you win,” he held his hands up. “I can’t fight like that anymore… its no fair… you wore me out before the sparring even began!” “All is fair in love and war,” Siabrey grinned, kissing him, “and to be fair, I think your new spell wore me out more.” He laughed. The party in the meantime had spent the last forty-five minutes watching the two spar, and at the end Shaun remarked, “Well there’s a strange couple if I ever saw one. They wear each other out on the sands, then on the battlefield, and then back out on the sands again…” Tess merely rolled her eyes, and considered adding another song to her growing list about thieves and their stupid comments. It was nearing dusk when Shaun spotted, far in the distance, a sparkling light that as it drew nearer, turned out to be Kelir. “Kelir!” Siabrey ran up and gave her rather surprised father a hug. “How was your trip? Did you find the other siabrie?” Shaun laughed silently to himself. [I]She’s a completely different person after time with Lucius…I really need to arrange for them to be alone more often.[/I] Kelir gazed down happily at his daughter, and gave her a small nod. “There was a meeting of siabrie today. That has not happened in 300 years…” he mused. [I]His language…he speaks nearly perfect Common now![/I] “Did you remember our language, dad?” He nodded. “Yes, I had much time to reflect on it as I flew.” Tess, who was waiting nearby, cleared her throat. “I hate to interrupt, but what did the other siabrie say?” Kelir stretched out a long arm and pointed to the north. “Mathasar is unwilling. Although he is young and very violent, he refuses to leave his territory. He promises that he will take care of any ‘unwanted visitors’ that pass through his land though. The only other siabrie nearby is Haran. He is willing, but…I don’t know how much help he will be. He is a little…” Kelir pointed to his head and rolled his eyes. “nuts I believe is the word?” Tess sighed. “Well, we probably wouldn’t want a crazy siabrie on our side anyway.” “Or a violent one.” Siabrey added. Her eyes were on her father though, and her muscles tingled pleasently from her earlier bouts with Lucius. [I]Hmm…[/I] “I will help you though. Tomorrow morning, I shall lead you to the ruins of the Temple of Hextor.” Kelir finished speaking to Tess. “Hey, Kelir. Can I show you something?” Siabrey voiced suddenly, her mind made up. The siabrie turned crimson eyes on her and nodded. “Of course, daughter. What is it?” “Well,” Siabrey felt embarrassed all of a sudden. [I]Stodiana always thought my skills with the sword were magnificent, how will my father, the creature that re-forged it, feel…[/I] “Would you like to see my skill with my katana?” The siabrie fluttered his wings happily. “I would dearly like to, daughter. I saw only a glimpse of it in battle.” Siabrey smiled broadly and gave her father a little bow, before dashing over to ask Lucius to spar with her after she finished her practice movements. Taking up a position in a ring of sand, she closed her eyes and pressed her hand together, emptying her mind of all thoughts, save one. With eyes closed, she pictured a single horizontal line hovering behind her closed eyelids. Mentally she wove a coil of fire around that line, tighter and faster till it blurred and a single dancing flame rose before her eyes. Drawing her katana swiftly, she raised it in a silent salute to the dancing flame before swinging the blade three times in rapid succession. In her mind’s eyes, the flame parted around the blade and formed itself into four equal balls, which she then quartered with a backspin and a stab alongside her left side. Lightly leaping into the air, her right foot hit the spot where her left had been moments before as she thrust forward and twirled the blade in one-handed, effectively extinguishing all the flames. Stepping back, she sheathed the katana fluidly and gave a small bow to the now empty battlefield in her mind. Opening her eyes, she wasn’t surprised to see all of her friends gaping at her. “That was Hawoash’s 13th rapture.” She stroked the hilt of her sword fondly. “One of my favorite movements.” Lucius gulped. [I]And she wants me to[/I]spar[I] with her. She’d slice me apart![/I] Siabrey turned to Lucius and gave another half-bow, the smile still on her face. “Will you spare with me now my love?” “Nice knowing you, Luke,” Shaun patted the young man on the back as Lucius stumbled cautiously into the ring. [I]Why is he stumbling? Did I really tire him out that much?[/I] she wanted to laugh. For her father’s sake, she kept a straight, if half grinning face, as Lucius set his sword into stance. [I]Wait,[/I] she thought with concern, [I]He doesn’t have his blade high over his head now. What’s he up to? Surely he doesn’t think he can spin around that huge bastard sword like…[/I] His upward thrust cracked into her katana, and before she realized what was happening, her sword was wrenched from her hands and landed in the sands outside of the circle. [I]He copied my move![/I] she wanted to shriek in surprise. [I]Down to the form! Everything![/I] Lucius gave a smile to Kelir as he bowed to him, and an enormous smirk as he bowed to the still shocked Siabrey, and turned to leave the ring. Just outside, an annoyed looking Tess grabbed him and whispered something in his ear. He turned around, and marched back into the ring rather sullenly. “I guess there should be another match,” he said quietly, and Siabrey realized what Tess had told him… “Lose in front of her father!” [I]But I don’t want him to throw the match… this is now a challenge![/I] she licked her lips, watching as he took another stance, different from others she’d seen him use before. [I]He learns fast… [/I] Both lunged at the same time, and for the next ten minutes their swords sang the song of battle. She noticed that unlike what Tess undoubtedly told him, he was fighting with every last breath in his body, not holding back, and she had to keep a laugh from breaking her lips. [I]I really love this guy! I have a new sparring partner![/I] Finally, Siabrey’s speed won the day, as she blocked a thrust from his sword, and undercut his motion to deftly place her blade inches from his stomach. He lowered his sword, smiled, and said loud enough that Kelir would hear, “I didn’t hold back. I wanted to win.” “I know,” she hugged him, as Tess and Shaun looked to Kelir in a mix of horror and despair as their plot was openly breached. To their relief, Kelir merely chuckled, and remarked that it was a match even better than those he and Stodiana used to have. [/QUOTE]
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