The Forgotten Sea

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Children? The very idea of it had him more than just pink as he turned to his friend while a floppy lot of red bangs fell over one eye.
"Children? I don't think there'd ever be! We'd die before conception!" he reminded with a good laugh as he got to his feet, dusted off his pants and offered her down a hand with a grin.

"Come, I bet my mother has those delicious coconut drinks you so love much. ANd maybe some roasted fish and bread and that coconut dipping oil for it!" Just the thought of it made him salivate.

[GoblinFae]

"At least I would survive to the bedroom. Can't say the same for you," she quipped, accepting his hand to get back on her feet. Her own outfit was quickly brushed off and her hair was rearranged to be more presentable.

The idea of her favorite sweet drink and good food left her squealing in excitement. She had his hand in hers in no time and was eagerly tugging him off towards home. Today was a good day.

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Gherrick's face went red, even a bit sheepish as he swept red hair from his face. This was not exactly what he had planned on joking with Aurora about but- it was what it was. Following after her along the trail, it quickly turned from something flat and sandy- to something more on an incline that angled up and up towards the craggy mountains of his palace home. ANd just as the force of the incline could be felt in their legs, Gherrick shot off suddenly in front of her.

"RACE YOU TO THE CASTLE!" he said with a laugh, a laughter which carried away as carefree as the winds.

[GoblinFae]

Aurora had been picking her way carefully when Gherrick suddenly shot away with her, challenging her to a race. A gasp escaped her lips before she was taking off behind him, laughing and shouting at him for cheating and giving her an unfair start.

"You cheat! Just wait until I catch you Gherrick! Last one there's a rotten fish!"

Laughter danced in her eyes as she took the climb slower but in her opinion smarter. Aurora sought the easiest path that avoided the areas most likely to suddenly give out underfoot. The last thing she needed in this race was to reach near the top and tumble to the bottom because hardened sand had given way.

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"Then I guess I'll be calling you a rotten fish!" he called back playfully, his voice carrying down the trail as he swerved through the man made paths cut out of the rock while the palace began to loom on the horizon.

[GoblinFae]

"We'll see about that!" she howled, pushing herself harder and feeling the burn in her legs as she did so. Aurora could just see the castle looming ahead proud and tall along the horizon. If she did not hurry she most certainly would be the rotten fish and it was not a place she relished being in.

Deciding to take matters into her own hands, the woman with one eye on her galloping prince, scooped up a handful of rocks. Then with well practiced aim she let them loose overhead one by one. They tore through the leaves of trees up ahead before falling to the ground harmlessly. But, as she had hoped a coconut or two was also dislodged and dropped into Gherrick's path just about the same time he reached it.

'Nothing like evening the odds out a bit,' she chuckled to herself as she raced alongside him.

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Clunk!
    Clunk!
        Clunk!

That was the sound the coconut made as it dropped from the tree and bounced along the canopy of trees beneath it. The sound came fast and sharp and was enough to draw Gherrick's attention as he ran- but just as he looked up, the coconut came down, and landing just a few inches along the path and not even seconds later, his sandaled feet were tripping over the fallen coconut in his path and he was soon eating sand and wondering just how this had come to be.

[GoblinFae]

Tinkling laughter rose up and danced upon the wind as Aurora watched with growing closeness, Gherrick's fate unfold. She saw the way he looked up but it was too late as he was sent sprawling. Mere moments later she was racing past him a taunt on her lips as she did.

"Who's the rotten fish now, birdseed!"

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There was one thing that could be said about Gherrick. He was quick. And even he didn't know how it had come to be or was even possible, but just as Aurora was racing past and laughign over his misfortune- he found himself throwing his strewn form at her as his arms awkwardly entangled around her limbs and sealed around her running legs, something that fated her to share in with him his fall to the dirt.

"Bird seed?"
He spit out the sand from his lips. "If anything, you could call me a bird- and watch as I swiftly fly off to the palace without you!" And before she could stop him, the dirt covered prince rolled away from her then up to his feet- and was sprinting off down the path, his laughter echoing spiritedly behind him.

[GoblinFae]

She twisted to not hit the ground so hard, yet still landed with a resounding thud, sand and leaves tangling in her long hair. "We'll see what kind of bird you are when I clip your wings princeling," she called, grappling and missing to catch him on his retreat.

Aurora was back on her own feet, tearing after him, finally gaining on him now that the incline had decreased significantly. Feeling ever so competitive she pushed herself to run faster, reveling in the burn that filled her calves and lungs. Then, once she felt she was close enough, Aurora sprung, intent on tackling Gherrick to the ground like a mighty jungle cat.

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Gherrick had hoped to outrun her, but her lithe legs made the young woman quite fast and before he knew it, her arms were sealed around his legs and he was down in the dirt, eating sands again. And through a muffled voice (that was still face planted into the ground) he asked her, "I hope you're happy my butt just saved your face." For they landed in quite a precarious position where their bodies were in some awkward line formation, and her- with her face planted over his royal behind.

[GoblinFae]

Down again, Aurora was beginning to wonder if getting up was really worth it or if she could win simply by crawling. Her consolation at least was that she had successfully managed to bring Gherrick down with her. The problem was how they landed.

With her face gently pillowed by his rear and arms pinned beneath his thighs she was not about to be racing off anywhere unless they both worked to get up. Having him bring attention to it only made her want to thunk her head down before she remembered exactly what she would have been burying it further into.

"You break wind now Gherrick and I swear to the Goddess I'll break you. Now roll over."

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Gherrick propped his head up and peered back at her curiously.
"But what if I already did?"
But even he knew better than to mess with Lady Aurora as he obeyed, rolling on over so their poor tangled could well... untangle.

[GoblinFae]

A smack on the rear and a roll of the eyes was her answer as she was finally able to separate herself from him. Aurora made a big show of the effort as if it had left her slow and tired but in a moment she would be bounding up again and racing the last few meters to the castle. It was already so close. Just a matter of ensuring Gherrick did not get there first.

"You done yet?" she pretended to gripe as she settled her feet beneath her skirt.

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Once Gherrick was on his feet, he took his sweet old time dusting himself off- and just as the words of inquiry slipped from Aurora's lips, he tossed her a quick, toothed grin and took off.
"Not until I beat you to the palace!" he called after her through a laugh.

[GoblinFae]

"We'll see about that!" Aurora growled and shot off the ground, her feet flying across the ground until she was abreast with Gherrick. Running as if she was not tiring and was simply going for a leisurely stroll she offered him a friendly smile.

"Feeling your age yet old man? Wind not quite in your sails anymore? Need me to race ahead and call you a healer?"

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Gherrick turned to her, eyes sparkling in surprise and amusement.
"Old man? Are you trying to tell me I'm old Aurora? I've only begun to put up my sails- or is it that you'd prefer me older since you tend to like your men more wrinkled?" he chortled, keeping his eyes distracted upon her that he didn't catch the low lying limb in his path and whack.

... he ran straight into it.

[GoblinFae]

She could not contain her laughter as he was suddenly stopped in his tracks. Aurora turned so that she could jog backwards and taunt him further. "You are old! Going blind now too or so it seems! Don't worry my prince, I'll still love you when you're too stiff to crawl out of your bed."

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He laughed through a fake scowl and grabbed onto her wrist and pushed her away while he stumbled forward in attempts to take the lead again in the race.
"Ha! Goes to show you! I shall never become so old and stiff, but I'll die young and handsome or-"
And this part, he laughed out, "I shall live forever!" and his voice carried carefreely int he winds as he continued to race down the path. The palace was soon coming into view and it seemed that sooner rather than later- one of them had to win the race!

[GoblinFae]

Using the momentum of his shove, Aurora made an about-face and tiredly began running in earnest once more. They were so close but already between all their antics to stop each other, she was becoming tired out. With a great deal more effort than she had the first time, she pulled up beside Gherrick.

Once there a quick shove into his tender side just as another tree was looming up was all she felt she needed to give her the advantage to pull ahead. Just a few more steps and she would win. "We'll see about forever you rotten fish!"