Feathers Doused in Rain

[Lion]

He swallowed hard and blinked at her, appearing old and haggard, as if ten years had just passed over him in that one moment with her.  His chin wavered, as if more tears threatened to pour down from his face.  He blinked at her, eyes red and sore.

"I-I don't know if I could do that," he breathed.  "I don't know if I want to just forget about it.  I haven't seen you in so long...I-I...  I don't know what to do."

[visualspice]

Attalia caught the look in his eyes, the waver in his voice and found herself beginning to cry even more. She should just walk away from him- yes.. she had to...
but as she tried, her movements were so rigid and slow, but if she didn't keep going, she knew she'd just collapse somewhere once again.

No, no.. she couldn't comfort him. Couldn't stay...
maybe he'd forget it.
She'd be in danger again...

But it was Merric...
Gods..
She cupped a hand over her lips to stifle her sob and tried to rush away even faster.

[Lion]

Mercuxio watched her try to get away and he ducked his head low until he found the strength to stand on his own. Righting himself, he stepped away from the gate and moved toward the horse he had tethered to a post across the road.  He was safely tucked away from the rain, a great black beast that was spotted here and there with rain.

He approached the animal and untethered him, wrapping his arms around his neck for a moment before climbing on his back and slowly turning in the saddle, watching where Attie had gone.

[visualspice]

She wished she could disappear.. like a ghost. But, like all humans, she had to take the long road to get home. She wasn't even smart enough to bring her horse, and she was a five hour walk from her home. Her brother would kill her, but..
She supposed, it in part, hd been worth it. But she needed to get away..
But Gods! Of all the things to happen on her first day out on her own, did she have to run into Merric!?

[Lion]

Mercuxio didn't waste any further time beating down the road, his horse splashing up small puddles where the hooves beat against the road.  He ran so hard against the rain, he wasn't even watching where he was going.  But he did open his eyes when he saw his horse suddenly skidded to a halt nearly running Attalia down.

[visualspice]

SHe too, was almost too distracted to notice the horse until it was nearly upon her, but whirled around at the last moment and the last thing she saw was the sky.

[Lion]

The side of his horse had bashed into Attalia, knocking her over and when Mercuxio realized what had happened he gasped in horror.  The horse reared back, nearly knocking him over.  When he regained control of the beast, he dismounted and rushed over to her body.  "Attalia!  Attalia!" he said, reaching down toward her shoulders and giving her a light shake.

[visualspice]

She was dizzy from the fall, the horse having startled her and rocking her world. She didn't know what was up and what was down,a nd by the time Merric had come to her side, she had almost forgotten his name. Peering up into his face, she began to see white spots before she fainted into his arms.

[Lion]

Well, she fainted quite unceremoniously in the mud since Mercuxio wasn't quite holding on to her.  He did hoist her up however and pulled her up over his horse's saddle.  He didn't quite remember all the houses along this road, but it was worth a chance, and some solace at least for the poor soul in his arms.

[visualspice]

Attie had fainted, but the rain was coming down in thick sheets by now and a cold wind was stirring. Eventually, she was roused, and murmured as she pressed her face against his warmth before lifting her gaze. After a moment , her vision began to refocus and she realized she was in Merric's arms.


ANd a second later she was freaking out.
"MERRIC!" she shouted, jolting up withiin his arms and suddenly struggling, pushing to get away. "No! Let me go! You can't take me back there! Don't take me home! They all think I'm dead!"

[Lion]

He had a powerful body for a priest and when she began to protest, her slight body was hardly anything against it.  He gripped her against him, at the risk of dropping her and her breaking her neck.  "What are you talking about?" he growled.  "I'm not taking you home.  Clearly you fooled more than one person in the last few years."

[visualspice]

Realizing her struggle was for not, she stopped, though at his words, she could not believe him and struck him suddenly as pained tears filled her eyes.
"FOOLED!?" her voice boomed, much like the threatening pound of thunder. "How dare you! You have no idea what I've been through you heartless man! I might as well have been dead!" ANd soon, hot tears were streaming down her cheeks.

[Lion]

"Perhaps it may have been for the best then," Mercuxio thought but did not say.  Instead he let her cry and kept his own tears from being seen as his eyes were mostly hidden beneath the darkness of his hood.  He rode hard down the path, his horse growing tired by the time it reached the bend.

He spotted a small building, two stories at least, with a run down sign saying "Red Golbet Inn."  A clear attempt to spell Goblet, with little success.  But the priest stopped at the small stable fitted just inside the gate and slid Attalia off with him, letting her feet drop to the ground.  "Attalia," he began.  "Here is a safe place for you to rest.  And I'll give you want, and go away.  And we never saw each other."

[visualspice]

"What?" she said, staring back at him angrily before she jerked her hands out from his grip. She shook her head. "I'm not taking your money, Merric."

[Lion]

"I didn't off you money.  I offered you safety and rest, and you would refuse me that out of spite." Merric grumbled and stepped away from her, back to his tired horse and looked at her with his red sore eyes.  "You're not the only one who cried, Attie.  You act as if your loss was the only grievance this world has ever known.  My heart died when I thought you did.  And here you are, reunited once again, by some cruelty of Ansgar, and you want nothing to do with me.  I'll give you want you want, and leave you be.  I just want you to know, you're not the only one who was hurt."

[visualspice]

Standing there in the rain, she found tears pooling in her eyes. Tears of pain, tears of frustration and tears of sorrow. But she couldn't totally hate the man infront of her, even if she wanted to. When they had last parted, at least in person.. at least.. as lovers... it had not been on good terms-
The argument.. she recalled, because of her engagemet...
As if she could have helped it! But still.... she remembered saying such angered things and he-
He did not have to be so cold! Did he not understand she had no choice? NO matter how much she begged and pleaded with her father? (for Angsar knew she had!)
and then the letters...
she wanted to tell him so much...
and she had thought she had, but what had become of those letters?


Listening to what he said, she let more tears stream down her eyes.
"You could have fooled me, Merric." She said. "We haven't even talked in years. How could I even know you'd care to cry at my funeral when we were no longer part of each others lives after that day." ANd then as she thought over what he said at the cemetery, she peered up into his eyes.
"Who were you mourning for today?"

[Lion]

Mercuxio's eyes were burning with both rage and anguish and the sorrow he'd still had yet to come to terms with.  Her presence summoned all manner of emotions that he had pushed down, away, and they were threatening to resurface.  He carefully pulled down his hood and peered at her, surprised tears had not passed his eyes yet.

"I still kept you in my heart.  Even if you weren't in my life," he breathed, low enough that she might even hear it.  But at her next question he blinked at her.  "I told you, an old friend.  You wouldn't know him."

[visualspice]

Attalia wasn't sure what she should be feeling when he told her that. Confused and angry, she continued to search for answers within his eyes. But at his last statement,s he pressed her lips flatly together, her anger only then, beginning to fade.

"You said.. he was like a father to you. He must have been of grave importance. I.. know you and your father had not been on the best of terms," she said soflty.

[Lion]

"We are not, and have never been," Merric answered finally.  She didn't know that side of his life, what he truly was or what he truly did.  "He was a teacher of mine," he admitted at last.  "My mentor.  I looked up to him and he treated me like a son.  I respected him and now he's gone."

[visualspice]

It was at this Attie actually smiled.
"I'm glad you had gotten a mentor. You had always been so bright." She had no idea, however, of his connection to the church. She only assumed he had craved for education, and perhaps, attended a school in Uthlyn. She could not imagine he was a champion of sorts, against mages...
part of the very same church, (perhaps not the same branch... however) that had done all of those horrid things t her.