What was she supposed to be feeling in that moment? Probably sad, that seemed like what a young woman about to leave home for the first – and last – time might reasonably be feeling. All Pyria could feel was a low-burning anger like coals and embers in her gut.
How could her parents really do this to her? Never in her life had they indicated that an arranged marriage was something they were even considering. It was all that damn Nathaniel Fairhall's fault. The man was her distant cousin on her mother's side, she thought. Why should some stupid lord from another part of Ravensway have a say in her life? Sure, the Fairhalls had a lot more money than they did, and they held a lot more respect and influence in the court, but that shouldn't mean that she had to pay for it!
Pyria didn't even look back as she rode down the forest road on the back of a dapple grey mare. The horse was stunningly beautiful, with thick, powerful legs and feathering. She was a beast bred for long steady treks along treacherous terrain. They'd tried to give her a sleek roan mare with long legs, but she'd refused. The young woman didn't need a show horse; she needed a stalwart mount that would carry her as long and far as necessary.
Nobody had really questioned her choice. She'd always been fond of Ashland; the mare had been her mount of choice for at least seven years. Pyria thought she'd seen a flicker of disappointment from her parents when she'd rejected the roan, she figured the animal had been an attempt to bribe forgiveness out of her. At least they didn't suspect the other reason she'd chosen Ashland.
Neither did the four men escorting her down the winding trade road.
They all watched the forest, but barely looked at her. She supposed that's what they were there for. Not that anyone anticipated trouble on the relatively straightforward trip, but bandits, brigands, ruffians, and all manner of ill-bred men could ambush travelers on any road. Theirs was one not heavily trafficked, most preferred the wide roads designed for carriages and wagons to pass easily. Forest paths weren't ideal for trade routes, but they could be safer for lightly burdened journeys for small parties like theirs.
Four days out from her former home, that was when Pyria had figured they'd be far enough from home, but not nearly close enough to her future husband, to make her break for it.
The men had begun preparing for the night's camp, and Pyria stood off to the side, fiddling with Ashland's tackle and stroking the patient mare, but not actually removing the riding gear. Nobody else noticed, and as soon as they'd hobbled their horses she was back in the saddle and racing through the trees off the beaten path to a chorus of surprised and distressed shouts.
They'd never catch her! Even if they rode bareback, with the failing light only Pyria was able to see through the twisting undergrowth of the northernmost edges of the Draconi forest. Her guards risked injuring their mounts trying to navigate through the darkness of night.
It was exhilarating for a while. What was more exciting than riding through the forest at a breakneck sprint when you weren't supposed to? This would teach them all. Her stupid guards, her dumb parents, and definitely that jerk from Adela that thought he could own her! She almost wished she could be there to see their faces when they got the news that she'd gone and run away. Maybe that would get it through their thick heads that she wasn't something to be given away or claimed or owned.
After a while, well, it got less fun. Once the initial excitement wore off and Pyria truly stopped to take in her surroundings, well, she was totally lost. The dense forests between Serendipity were wild and overgrown, places were dangerous creatures lurked and though not really afraid, as a sheltered young woman of noble birth she didn't really know how to take care of herself this far from home.
There was at least one thing she knew – poor Ashland needed rest and a nice drink after all that running. Good thing the rivers branched into countless streams and tributaries, so finding a clear flowing creek was not difficult. There even seemed to be some kind of pathways leading to the water.
She thought that they might lead to small forest settlements.
Or they were game trails.
Ashland had barely started drinking before the animal was tossing her head and stomping her hooves in fear. Pyria tried to scramble back into the saddle, but a clawed paw came out of the dark, snagging her boot and dragging her to the ground as she screamed. She was able to glance back at some cat-like monstrosity and screamed again.
Great, run away for freedom and just end up eaten!
It was supposed to be easy
Rolan sighed, shifting under his heavy cloak. It would frighten the girl, they said, which was why he was swaddled in a cloak. Even his feet were wrapped up to not draw attention. The girl was obviously preoccupied though because she didn't even notice the weird shape of his legs. Her scent bothered him, so he was glad for the mask. Glad the girl hadn't noticed he'd taken it off while he slept. Then again, he was usually the last asleep and the first to wake up.
It was whatever-day-into the journey. They were setting up camp and one second the blasted girl was then and then... Gone. The sound of hooves was all he had to go by. And scent. A scrunch of his nose when he looked to his fellow guards. It was a silent consensus. They would stay there for now, meet back up at the designated location. Roland would be able to follow her scent not unlike a tracking hound. It would be fine.
That was the day Roland discovered riding bareback on a horse was terrible and when it got too dark and too dense to ride the horse he was glad to be off of it. He'd removed the head wrap and the cloth that covered his clawed toes for grip. Her scent was... Roland scrunched his nose again, unwilling to let himself acknowledge how nice it was. It had smelled weird under the cloth but now. He blew out a breath while he followed her and a half run. Not as fast as a horse but perhaps faster than a tired one.
Roland was a little winded by the time the scent became intoxicating.
One deep inhale...
His eyes snapped open, pupils little slits. He could smell her fear and he wasn't close, so he knew it wasn't him. Roland's heart near stopped and he ran faster, long legs eating up distance quickly. No. No. No. He wouldn't lose His so quickly. He hadn't even found her yet!
Panting, the scream echoing in his ears and there. Built for hunting, he could see well enough in the dark, and it took only a few seconds for him to leap on the beast. His claws sank into it's back and he opened his mouth to bite it's neck. One good turn and a crunch and... Roland waited, belatedly hoping it was too dark for the girl to see what he'd done. The heavy creature was pushed aside and he quickly wiped the blood from his mouth.
He was... Angry!
"You're a fool girl!" He snarled, a strange flang to his voice from his anger, "Clearly now you have some idea of how dangerous these forests are," He shoved the dead animal away with his foot, the goldenyellow scales glinting in what little moonlight for canopy let in. Roland stared down at the girl, his pupils so large they took up most of his iris. Angry! "I've only just found you and you're trying to go off and get yourself eaten!"
And not eaten in a fun way!
What was probably only a few heartbeats felt like an eternity. Even in the dark it was strange the crystal clarity in which events began to unfold. Those claws had snagged her boot and dragged her to the ground. She could see the fangs, good gods, the fangs! Sure this was just some type of feline predator (and probably not even a huge one all things considered) but in that moment she didn't think there could exist a larger set of teeth.
Being mauled to death and then eaten had to be up there in the top worst ways to die, right?
Pyria saw the beast lunging forward, mouth open wide as it sought to lay a killing blow on her neck and face. She threw up her arms, trying to protect herself, but instead of feeling vicious teeth sinking into her, the claws gripping her boots lost their hold as the creature stumbled back in surprise at the launched attack on its back.
She heard a sickening crunch, but was too afraid to even peek. For that moment her entire body was trembling as she waited for whatever new pain awaited.
Being yelled at was not what she expected! Pyria jerked her head up, eyes widening like saucers with a new wave of fear as she looked up at...whatever the heck he was. Was that one of her guards? Yes, it had to be. She could tell by his clothing, even if she didn't recognize his face. Would have been hard to forget that! Must have been the bundled up one. She'd always suspected he was odd.
Whatever fear for the beast that attacked her or for him vanished as anger bubbled up. If he was her guard then she wasn't in danger from him. Right? Of course. "F-f-fool? Did you just call me a fool?!"
Her blue eyes narrowed as she scrambled to her feet. He loomed over her too much while she was laying on the ground like she'd been. Not that he didn't still tower over her once she was standing! Gods, but he was huge. How had she not noticed him before? Guess she just hadn't paid enough attention to the men around her. Even knowing he was supposed to protect her, the anger in his voice, coupled with just him, was damn intimidating.
"Getting eaten wasn't part of the plan! How did you even find me so quickly?" Not that she wasn't a little grateful he had, but it was a bit of a blow to her ego that her long thought out plan had failed so damn quickly. She'd thought for sure she could lose her babysitters in the dark forest. Her plan hadn't really counted on a non-human...lizard man?
Pyria was trying so hard to act as if she weren't frightened by his anger in the slightest, but she couldn't help but subconsciously lean back away from him a little.
"You're damn right i called you a fool!" The angry flang was back in his voice and... Rolan frowned, glaring at her. Then her horse. Then the dead cat and... It was all of their faults. "I'm Topaz. I could follow you anywhere, its what I'm designed to do," he answerd her flatly, frowning. Quickly, he crouched down onto one knee.
His hands grabbed for her foot and he pushed fabric up and away before he pulled her boot off, holding her foot in his hand and studying it carefully. "You're lucky you didnt lose anything," he said, eyeing her calf. Then her skirts. A rumble in his chest and he looked up at her finally.
"We're still going," he said flatly, one hand on her calf and the other on her ankle, resting on his thigh while he was sitting back on his ... heels. "But not for the rest of the night. We'll sleep here and meet up with the rest of the guars tomorrow." Or at least that was the plan. She was tiny and delicate and beautiful and he couldn't stop his ears from being so perky.
The Dornelis were not a very high house at all, just some backwoods (or backwards) country bumpkin nobles from one of the most rural areas of the kingdom, but even so, nobody had ever called her a fool before!
You didn't just go around insulting ladies, especially if you were just some hired thug.
"What even are you?" Pyria had no idea, or why her parents had hired him to protect her. Better than sending their own men who might not return, she guessed. Still, the idea that he could follow her anywhere sent a little shiver up her spine. If he weren't bluffing, then she'd never manage to get away.
She squawked softly as he grabbed her foot, making her lose her balance as she ended up back on her butt. Her first instinct was to jerk her leg away from him, but she eyed his clawed hands warily. Topaz, as he'd called himself, was obviously very strong. She'd never be able to get her foot away if he didn't want her to. So somewhat helplessly, she watched as he pulled off her boot and examined her for injuries.
The boot had somehow managed to mostly protect her, there were angry red lines on her ankle where the skin had been scraped, but the skin wasn't broken.
Pyria swallowed softly and shot a look at the dead body nearby. She could have lost quite a lot.
Which once again she promptly pushed aside when he started telling her just what they were going to do. She didn't take orders from him. "What? I am not going! I'm not!"
"That's rude," Roland grumbled out at her. There was just a few moments where he felt bad that she'd fallen onto her butt but... That had cushion and she wouldn't die from bloodloss or infection from landing ... On her butt. A soft hiss when he finally noticed the cuts and he lowered his head, intending to lick the wound but... No. No. That would also be rude. This girl was a human.
He could imagine she'd react badly to a tongue on her leg.
Worst, probably, since he was a man and therefore it was a mans tongue.
Also it was a foot that'd been in a boot all day and he didn't really want to put his tongue on it, still, he traced his thumb over the red mark gently before he took her boot and put it back on, tying the laces up quickly and grabbed both her feet and dragged her closer to him, tucking her legs off to the side.
Leaning over her, he frowned down.
"You are," He said firmly, frowning, "I am getting paid to get you there and if you don't get there I don't get paid." Roland then laid down, curled an arm around her middle and held her close to his chest, tucking his knees up under hers and draping his orange tail over them both, "Go to sleep. I'll keep you safe and maybe also warm."
So was calling her a fool, but maybe she'd deserved it a little. Running off on her own without considering the danger had been...not the smartest idea she'd ever had. Desperate times had called for desperate measures though.
Her leg twitched and she sort of tried to pull it back as his head leaned down towards it. She might not have seen him kill the monster, but he'd done it in about two seconds and he wasn't human. If he could do that to a huge cat beast, she didn't want to know what he could do to her leg if he felt like hurting her.
When he put her boot back on she relaxed just a little, for a moment, because then he grabbed her and dragged her close to him. Pyria bit off a yelp at the motion, squirming now to get out of his grasp. Stupid hired thugs, they only cared about money.
"I don't care if you get paid. This is kidnapping." Or something. There was no actual crime being committed, her parents could force her to marry if they wanted, but if felt like it should be some kind of crime! Pyria didn't have much choice but to lay down with him, pulled close against his chest. She still struggled, trying to wiggle out of his grip obstinately. "Let me go. I'm not just going to sleep against your chest. It's not proper."
Propriety wasn't really her objection.
Roland barked out a laugh. It was a wide laugh and his mouth parted perhaps a little too much in his entertainment. He still grinned widely at the girl though. She was nothing but fire and he could appreciate that. Missed it, even. Her wiggling did little. If anything his grip tightened around her, one hand on her shoulder and one at her waist, elbows locked against her side. His knees were tucked up under hers and he sighed before tucking his chin over her head.
"What's not proper is runnin' away from your guard," He gave her a little squeeze with the intention of hurting a little. His tail shifted slightly to rest against her legs and he sighed, getting comfortable. "Go to sleep, Little Girl," his voice was soft, a grumble in his throat that no doubt vibrated against her chest. He was warm, far normal than any human man and he smirked, "The sooner you sleep, the sooner I won't have to wrap my arms around you."
Thankfully Pyria's back was to him, because she would have definitely freaked out if she had seen his mouth opening like that and those wicked teeth. As it was, she seethed at his laughter. Nothing about this situation was funny to her. The way he tucked his body around her made it hard to keep struggling, and she gave soft grunt as he squeezed her too hard. Stupid guard, who did he think he was holding her like this?
"I'm not a little girl!" She snapped irritably, squirming just a little longer, refusing to give up too easily, but it was pretty hopeless. "I can't fall asleep like this."
She was too angry to go to sleep. Pyria wanted to stew on that anger. Not that it did any good to be angry. With a great huff she finally settled and stopped her fruitless wiggling. Indeed she kind of wilted. The weird lizard was going to take her back to the rest of her guards and they'd be a lot more vigilant about watching her. She very much doubted she'd get another opportunity to run so easily.
Good, she stopped wiggling.
Still, Roland smiled, eyes closed, shifting so he could sort of use his shoulder to rest on. It was a fruitless effort but he still tried. It was uncomfortable to say the least and the only solace to this entire situation was that the lady smelled lovely. It could lull him to sleep, maybe. "Me neither," He agreed in a gruff voice.
It was alarming, how... Nice it felt to have someone in his arms.
Sure she was unwilling and feeling nice about it was making him also feel creepy about it but... It'd been a while since he'd been this close to anyone and he closed his eyes and savored it. Something to protect. "I know you don't want to be here," He said softly, "But I promise that as long as i'm here, nothing is going to hurt you." Roland sighed before he gave her shoulder a squeeze, "Just... Do your best to get comfortable and we'll figure out what to do with you in the morning."
Pyria couldn't even wiggle her arms out to try to cradle her own head, so she used his arm as a sort of pillow instead. It would serve him right if it fell asleep and got all tingly and painful. Making his arm fall asleep was probably the worst she could even inflict on him. Whatever he was, Topaz dwarfed her in size.
"The only person hurting me right now is you." She grumbled, trying to curl in on herself even the slightest bit more. Not exactly true. Her parents were hurting her, Lord Jerkface was hurting her, and none of them even cared. That probably hurt the worst, that they just didn't care they were hurting her. All they cared about was how much money the deals sealed by her marriage would make them all in turn.
Didn't matter at all that she was miserable.
A soft smile was on his lips when Pyria sort of... Gave up and used his arm as a pillow. Roland was slowly feeling all sorts of terrible that he was holding her against her will but... There was a job to do. The job was to get her to her... Husband - why did that word make him angry? - safe and sound. The girl had already almost been eaten by a giant cat and... Roland didn't want to think of what would have happened if...
He snuggled against her a little tighter, tucking his face against her hair under the guise of letting her use his bicep as a pillow. His tail was still over her legs and his other arm was still around her waist. There would be no escaping her arm prison but they could both be a little more comfortable. "I'm sorry, Sweetheart," He said softly, against her hair, voice a gentle purr, meant to sooth. Probably didn't work on human women but... it was worth a try.
"Sleep," He urged, voice drifting away, falling into his own sleep, "We'll fix your hurts in the morning." A quiet promise, another quick snuggle against her and Roland fell into a light sleep, feeling more content and happy than he'd felt in a long, long time.
Pyria shifted as much as she could when he snuggled in closer. It was definitely the strangest situation she'd ever found herself in. She'd not been cuddled like this by anyone before, and she was pretty sure it was highly inappropriate. He was just some hired guard, and not even a human. At least nobody was going to see them in that position, and it wasn't like they were actually doing anything.
Although she couldn't help but bristle slightly when he called her sweetheart. What the hell? He better not even think about getting all fresh with her. It was weird the way his voice purred, she could almost imagine him purring like a cat if he got all happy. How strange.
The young woman huffed softly at the idea that they would fix her hurts in the morning. Good luck with that. He'd already made it clear what he intended to do. Being forced to go to marry Edgar would not help anything. Maybe he was talking about her ankle? It didn't hurt, though. Not really. Barely a mark at all!
Pyria sulked quietly in his arms as she sensed him fall asleep by the way his breathing evened out. Eventually she couldn't keep her eyes open another moment and ended up drifting into a fitful sleep of her own.
Roland slept great.
Sure he opened his eyes quickly to look around and assess any danger but... He'd close them again and fall right back asleep. It was always like that. Quick to awaken when something felt off but just as easy to fall asleep again. The sounds of birds chirping had him flicking his ear to make it go away but then he remembered. Morning. Right.
The girl.
Roland resisted the urge to snuggle in more against her back... For a moment. There was a few seconds where he curled his arms tighter around her and nuzzled the back of her head before he rolled away, gently removing himself from anything of his she slept on. The numb arm should have made him angry or at least a little irritated but instead, he was just pleased with himself for taking care of his...
His expression fell and he cleared his throat, wiggling his fingers and trying to get feeling back.
The pins and needles feeling didn't bother him as much as he let on but he hissed a little and flexed his hand, purposefully putting too much attention on his numb arm. "Miss?" His voice was husky from disuse and he crouched down beside her, resting a hand on her shoulder and offering a palm to help her up. "I didn't bring any food with me or anything so, no breakfast, Ready to go?" No doubt he looked more alarming in the morning light, the dawn light glinting off his yellow-orange scales.
Pyria slept horribly.
Stress and worry did not promote good or restful sleep. At least she'd been warm. Not that she would ever had admitted it, but unconsciously in her sleep she'd snuggled back against the warmth wrapped around her that was her strange guard. Not that she could've rolled away from him if she'd wanted to, his arm had held her even in their sleep.
It was the feeling of his arm slipping out from under her head that woke her.
Even so, the young lady didn't move, didn't crack open her eyes. She just listened to him hiss as he worked at his arm. Well, it did serve him right. It was his own fault that she'd had to lay on and against him.
Pyria groaned and curled up tighter when his hand gripped her shoulder. "No. I'm not going."
"Well," Roland sighed and moved his hands down to her waist, "If you're sure you're not going." And he got down on one knee, gripped her sides and simply... Lifted her up like she was nothing.
"You're lucky I'm so strong and handsome," He quipped at her with a smile before he wiggled her out and moved her over her shoulder. His hand rested on her thigh and he started to talk. He was hungry - when wasn't he hungry. The sooner they got to the rest of the gang, the sooner he'd get his rations, the sooner he could go upwind from this girl and the sooner they could...
Get her to her new husband.
Roland hated how his chest tightened at the idea.
He didn't even know her. She just ... Was amazing. And his.No, not his. He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. He had no His. There was no His. Inappropriate thing to do to Humans. Especially so tiny of one. He wished he'd had his cloak back because clearly it had been covering his nose. "Comfortable?" He asked, grinning to himself as he walked, her horse following her master as a leisurely pace.
Why was he still touching her? She'd already made it perfectly clear she wasn't going anywhere!
Conveniently ignoring how much bigger, and apparently stronger, he was. Pyria really wasn't expecting him to life her up like a sack. He even put her over his shoulder like one. Nobody manhandled her like this, she was a lady gods damn it all!
"You are not." She tried to kick him, growling hatefully and squirming. The feel of his hand on her thigh made her skin tingle and she blushed. This was not dignified, and it certainly wasn't appropriate. Who did he think he was just putting his hands on her? "Put me down! You can't just haul me around like a piece of luggage! I told you I'm not going! You...you can't do this to me. It's not fair!"
Pyria was tiny and he was huge. How was she even suppose to fight off someone like that? She balled her hands into fists and hit him in the back when he asked if she was comfortable. "No!"
The kicks did little and the squirming did less.
Roland smirked at her, turning his head slightly and giving her thigh a squeeze. "If you don't stop squirming I'm going to drop you in a puddle," He threatened, voice a low purr. Her cries did little to slow him down and while he felt the least bit guilty he only chuckled when she started to hit him in the back while he walked.
"We're getting paid to get you somewhere," He scoffed, picking up the pace a little to a soft jog, "If you can pay me more to keep you away from there I'll be happy to take your offer, Little Lady."
Pay him more?
"Fucking mercenaries. You're all the same, only care about one thing." Truthfully if Pyria had the money she'd gladly offer it to him in exchange for her freedom, but the only money she had was the money her family gave her, and her family was paying him and the others to take her Adela.
It was beyond frustrating, to say the least.
He was too strong to fight, and obviously yelling at him was effect as shouting at a brick wall. Sure, she'd just accused him of only caring about money, but it was at least worth a try, right? With everything else failing so far, Pyria decided to play her trump card.
All fighting stopped as she began sniffling, which quickly turned into flat out bawling. Summoning up tears and sobs wasn't difficult, really. She really was very upset over the whole situation!
Roland frowned.
Cared about one thing. That was how he lived! Him and his merc family. They did jobs they got paid. What did she did? He gave her thigh a squeeze, frowning at her and her insult. Spoiled little girl who smelled deceptively amazing and he wanted to keep it around forever and he growled softly continuing on.
Things were quiet for a while and he walked, taking careful steps to avoid anything too sharp. He had no shoes on, but he'd taken to covering up his feet for the sake of peoples delicate sensibilities. Then he heard it. His ear twitched and he smelled salt in the air and... Oh no.
Roland's heart sank and he froze, going completely still before he shifted and gently moved Pyria from over his shoulder, letting her down onto the ground. Once she was on her feet he kneeled in front of her, leaning in and sniffing. "Tell me where it hurts," He whispered, looking at her concerned, "I can't fix it if I can't find it. You don't smell like blood," He shook his head confused, flabbergasted that she would be crying when she wasn't hurt. His nose pressed to her abdomen and he breathed deeply, eyes closed and.... He frowned.
"You're ovulating," He frowned up at her and blinked owlishly before he shook his head. She was perfect before he stood up, took her wrists and raised her hands above her head, nothing looked broken, "Why were you crying!"
Of course that was how they lived, and some part of her knew that. However, this was obviously a case where the money shouldn't have been enough to make them do what they were doing! Not that they had any reason to care how unhappy or angry she was - as long as she was delivered intact to her husband they were getting paid for their service.
That was part of what made it so easy to cry. Nobody cared and she couldn't just escape like she'd so cleverly thought.
It surprised her when he actually stopped and set her down surprisingly gentle-like. Pyria guessed he had to make sure the goods weren't damaged. They'd get in trouble if she was hurt during transport. She bit her lip, trying to stifle her waterworks as he kneeled down and started...sniffing her. How strange.
He really was like some kind of animal person.
"I'm not bleeding, and you can't fix it." Why did he suddenly think she was hurt somewhere? He'd looked at her dumb ankle last night and seen for himself it was fine. Was he confused by the crying?
No time to think on it. Pyria's eyes went wide and she tried to step back when he pressed his nose against her stomach. This was too weird. He was like some big, scaly dog.
"What the...how would you even know that?" She huffed, glaring up at him as her tear-streaked cheeks burned red. This was humiliating! He could raise her arms up and hold her there so easily, and now he was talking about stuff like that after sniffing her! "That's not something that you need to know!"
Roland winced.
Right. Right. Human.
Finally he looked up, his pupils wide orbs in his mix of concern, curiosity and well, feeling bad. His ears were pinned back and he reached up with his hand, fingers going to her cheeks to wipe away they tears before he stopped and stood up. His hands on her shoulders before he shook his head, right. Human.
They weren't as touchy-feely as he was used to.
"It's..." He frowned, "Just... I can..." Smell was a bad word. That meant it didn't smell good. Not that it smelled good. It didn't smell bad. It just... "It's just a scent and..." He tried to smile at her, but it looked more like a grimace, "Sorry," He rushed out, "Just part of what I am, I was surprised. That's only supposed to happen once a year and we're taking you to your new Mate during, so now you have to wait ..." He pat her head sympathetically, "How do you know you'll hate him?" He asked, curious before he moved his hand to her bicep, fingers going around it, not silly enough to let her wander away.
Why did he keep touching her so much! It was weird. Pyria still had a very sullen and pouty expression as he wiped away her tears. If he wasn't a big lizard man that was keeping her captive against her will she might even have considered it a kind of sweet gesture.
It seemed useless to point out that he didn't need to be scenting her at all. That wasn't part of his job or what he was being paid for.
Pyria had no idea where to even begin picking apart everything he was saying. Once a year? Have to wait? Why'd he look at her all sympathetic when he said that? Honestly it was starting to make her head spin just a little bit. She gave a small useless tug when his fingers curled around her arm, but as she suspected, there would be no running.
"He's not my mate, and I don't care what he's like. I will hate him. From what I've heard he's not exactly a nice guy, and I am not going to be his damn wife. He can't just control me and force me to sit in his stupid house and, and, and..." Have his children.
That was the worst part. She didn't want to have to lay there in some stranger's bed and let him have his way with her only to be then forced to have his babies.
"I'm not a brood mare!" Pyria snapped angrily.
Rolands eyebrows went up.
Concern was clear on his face. "You don't want to be his mate?" His hand hovered by her head, ready to tuck haie behind her ear. His voice was soft. It clicked then, how different everything was. "Having children is a great honor," his eyes were soft when he looked at Pyria.
"You didn't Choose him? You don't want children with him?" Sure humans were different but.. Everything he knew went out the window when it came to the little human girl. He was a predator now. This was his girl and if she didn't want to mate with someone...
"I'll protect you," he decided. Like a switch was flicked, money didn't matter anymore. The only thing that mattered was keeping His safe and happy. "Where do you want to go?"
Children as a great honor? She'd heard that it was a great joy to be blessed with children in your life, but to her it was only presented at a duty expected to be fulfilled whether she wished it or not. It wasn't that Pyria disliked kids and never wanted any. The idea that it was beyond her choosing when or with whom that had so turned her stomach at the idea.
"Of course I didn't choose him." She muttered in response to his question. If she'd chosen the man why would she be trying to run away from him? That made no sense at all.
The complete turn around in attitude did take her by surprise, though. Well, he'd always been willing to protect her, that was his job. It was him asking where she wanted to go that was catching her off-guard.
Pyria really didn't have an answer to that. "Wait, really? You're not going to drag me back kicking and screaming? What about your money?"
Didn't choose?
Roland's eyebrows drew downwards and he let out a quick little breath. Angry. For her. For the choice she didn't get to make. Roland placed his hands on her shoulders, looking at her before he sighed and glanced away. "I don't need money," Which was true. The mercenary band needed money.
He'd lived just fine before without it.
As much as the Mercs had been his family they had never truly been such. It hurt to think of it but he knew he'd only ever been fooling himself into believing they cared about him. His hand cupped her cheek and he smiled at her, close lipped so his teeth didn't scare the girl.
"I'm yours," he said softly, letting his hand fall away, "Just... Now we need to go somewhere. Do you have other family I could bring you to? A home somewhere?" he paused and tilted his head, "Where were you going to run off to, Sweetling?"
What kind of mercenary didn't need money? He'd been concerned about money just a minute ago. She had no idea what could have brought on this sudden change of attitude. Was it the part where she didn't choose her husband-to-be? That made no sense. Shouldn't it have been obvious from the start that she didn't want to go to Adela or marry Edgar?
Topaz didn't have to show his teeth, the smile alone would have been enough to set her on edge, and the way he cupped her cheek definitely did. The affectionate touch was strange and seemed wrong to her.
He was a hired thug!
"No you're not, and I'm not your Sweetling." Pyria scowled, folding her arms protectively around her as she tried to step back away from him. She didn't know this man...creature. "I didn't have anywhere to go, but anywhere was better than to him. All of my family would turn me in and give me to him."
She shuddered at the thought. They already acted like the damn man owned her. Like she was his rightful property.
Right.
Right.
Roland pulled his hand back and looked a little bashful with himself, a flush on what tanned skin the scales didn't cover up. A moment for his ears to pin back and he looked away before clearing his throat. "Right, Sorry," It felt like rejection. He knew it wasn't. He knew she was frightened and he was a giant beast of a man and unfamiliar but still.
Being told he wasn't hers felt like straight up rejection and he couldn't help the tightness in his chest.
Keep it ... Not vocal. He closed his eyes for a moment before he looked away and moved his hands away before he stretched his arms up and rolled his shoulders. "So... No where? You had no plans. You were... Just going to get eaten by a cat and that was it?" He'd been a little angry. Putting herself into needless danger like that.
"I don't want you to get eaten by a cat so... Name somewhere that you know the location of and we can head there, okay?" It seemed that simple. It could be that simple.
For a lizard man, he was very expressive, what with those big ears and all. It almost made her feel a little bad when they pinned back like that. He truly did remind her more of a puppy than a lizard, except for the scales.
Still didn't make him hers or her his Sweetling, or give him a right to go touching her like that.
"Getting eaten wasn't part of the plan! I just...underestimated the danger of the forest." Pyria huffed and narrowed her eyes. "Plus getting eaten would have still been better than having to go marry that jerk in Adela."
Actually, they were in Adela now, weren't they? She honestly wasn't completely sure anymore, and didn't know where to go. Her plan had been very pitifully thought out. With determination and a frown she flexed her hands into fists and paced a little, eyeing her weird guard cautiously. As far as she was concerned he couldn't really be trusted.
Then again, she didn't know why he'd decided to turn on the mission and instead focus on her.
"What about the other guards? Won't they come after us? I imagine they still care about the money." She didn't know if they could catch her as easily as he had. Pyria licked her lips nervously. "What about you? Is there somewhere you know that I could go and be safe from...well...everyone? I know you said you don't care about the money, but I'll find a way to pay you back, I promise!"
At her last request, Roland instantly thought of his home. His true home.
A far away look in his eyes for a moment, remembering. Could he go there? Would that be safe? A moment for his heartbeat to pick up, the idea of being home, truly home, fluttered in his head. It would be a destination, at least. And while headed there, he could convince her that he was hers and she was his and he'd make her happy and shower her with affection and live out his life for her and... Roland blinked away the thoughts, frowning at the ground for a moment.
He'd gotten it bad quickly.
Swallowing carefully he nodded to her. "I have an idea," He said softly, looking over his shoulder like the other guards would be hot on his trail. They wouldn't be. He was the tracker. Still, when he didn't meet up with him... Would they think he turned traitor? Was he willing to do that for this slip of a girl? He rolled his shoulders, ears pinned back still with his mental distress before he nodded to the girls horse.
"Get on your horse, we're going to go north, okay? I'll take care of you, you just need to tend to your beast." He tried to smile at Pyria before he started to walk the other direction, "We can't take the mainroad. Not for a few days. So... You'll probably have to sleep on me again," he tried to look sad about that for her but... He'd probably enjoyed the contact far more than he should have.
For the longest moment she was afraid he'd say no. If he didn't have anywhere safe that she could go Pyria didn't know what she was going to do. It didn't really feel like anywhere was safe to her.
Despite her suspicions and reservations, she felt a bit of relief when he finally said that he had an idea. Where would they be going? Had she really lucked out this much? That her paid guard would suddenly decide to go against money to help her and then just conveniently know somewhere to take her that would keep her free of her arranged marriage?
She saw him look back towards where they should be heading. Was he afraid the guards would find them? Just thinking about the others capturing her and dragging her to Adela made her shudder softly.
Pyria nodded slightly and quickly moved to climb into the saddle. The mare turned easily to follow the strange creature. She was kind of surprised that the horses weren't afraid of him. He was obviously a predatory beast man - if what he'd done to that cat was any indication. Her attention jerked back to him when he suggested she'd have to sleep on him again.
"Well you won't have to restrain me, so I should be fine not sleeping on you." They shouldn't be anywhere near each other, honestly. "You don't have to do this. You could go back and tell the others that you couldn't find me or something."
Her suggestion just made him frown and he felt the growl at the back of his throat at the idea.
Did she think him just evil? She already almost got herself eaten by a cat! Roland's heart lurched at the idea of losing her now. Could he go on? A moment of panic at the idea of her just... Leaving. Luckily for him he could probably track her to the end of the world but... Death was permanent and Roland looked up at her on her horse, his brown and orange hair being blown by the slight breeze. His mouth parted slightly and he quickly closed it and turned away.
"The ground is cold," He said simply, "I am warm," A confused look at her... Why wouldn't she want to be warm? Roland opened his mouth and then closed it again, glancing off to the side. "I'm yours," He said simply like that answered all the questions. It did to him, at least. "Leaving you alone is out of the question," he said firmly, walking along side the mare, nudging her when he wanted her to move in a certain direction.
A deep breath and he looked at Pyria on the horse. Looking at her set him at ease because he knew that as long as he was with her, everything would be fine. It would all work out because she was his and even though she didn't believe it or understand, he knew that he was hers. "I'll have to probably hunt something for fur so we can trade and sleep somewhere that isn't the grass," He huffed a breath and looked around, wishing he'd thought to skin that cat. A deep breath and he only caught the scent of His and her horse.
"Do you know anything about the geography here?" He asked a little hopefully - she was noble, that meant they were educated, right?
Out of the question.
Pyria scowled at him, blue eyes flashing daggers at him. Who did he think he was? She was not at his mercy! He did not own her and she didn't need his permission for anything, including being alone if she wanted. Perhaps that anger was in part an extension of her distaste at the idea of being saddled with a controlling husband.
"You're not mine." She growled obstinately. "I don't own you, and I have no way to pay you. You are your own man, aren't you?"
That kind of threw her argument right back in her own face, didn't it? If this Topaz was a free man, creature, person...then she couldn't stop him from following her. Right now it was highly convenient for her to have him around, and despite her reluctance he could definitely come in handy. She didn't have much protection against dangerous things like that cat.
"What do you need to know? We were going south, now we're going north. Which would take me back towards home. I'll have to skirt well around my father's holdings. Just in case." Being captured meant for sure that she would be shipped to be married.
The words hurt. Again.
Roland winced visibly, his head ducking down and his ears pinning back. Of course she didn't know what she was saying or how badly it hurt him. The pang in his heart at being denied so vehemently did more damang than good but... She was human. They didn't feel like Kulshedra felt. Roland gave a simple nod to her question.
He was his own man. Now more than ever. He was doing exactly what he needed to do to keep himself and His safe. Still, he breathed in quietly and continued walking, listening to her talk and explaining about her fathers holdings.
"Don't worry," He said, voice firm and he was very sure he knew what he was talking about. Everything would be fine. He'd see to it. "We'll... Go right up north," He said simply, a glance away, "What province is he in? Maybe we can avoid it. Get you settled somewhere else," He rubbed his arm and looked up at the sky, "Can you do anything that makes you money?" Roland asked, curious, "You can't live on your own if you can't feed yourself."
It was easy to miss his body language, since the young woman wasn't paying attention to her unexpected accomplice. Instead Pyria was gazing straight ahead and chewing on her bottom lip, deep in thought. She was oblivious to the hurt she was causing him, and wouldn't have understood it if she had noticed.
"Ravensway is where all my family lives. We could go around it to head further north. It will just take a little longer. Which is okay." It wasn't how long it would take, just the matter of not getting caught. They didn't have much money on them that she knew about.
He said he could hunt, which would give them food, and mentioned selling pelts too. Hopefully they wouldn't need much coin to get by for now.
"I've never thought about it." Pyria scowled softly, angry at herself because she felt pretty useless. How had she ever thought running away would be simple and easy? She couldn't even take care of her self and make a living. "I don't know if my lights will be much use outside of home, but I could probably do something."
She was well-educated. A governess wouldn't be too bad, but she'd have to deal with rich people like merchants and nobles, who could possibly recognize her.
"Are you really sure you want to help me? I think you'd be better off leaving me to fend for myself. I already told you I have nothing to pay you with. This is a suspicious amount of work you're willing to offer for free to a girl you've barely met." There were a lot of suspicious things about him, but she was kind of desperate too. He saved her life and she didn't have many other options for aid.
Ravensway.
Roland's ear twitched while he thought, trying to picture a map of Serendipity. His reading skills still weren't the best but he could manage and he had seen a map once or twice before. While she spoke, he pictured Serendipity and finally, after getting a somewhat decent plan plotted out in his head, he gave her an orange eyed look. "Lights?" He questioned, ears perking up.
Though, her questioning of his choices made him a little angry. A heated angry because why would she think that? She was his! He was hers! The words were on the tip of his tongue before he remembered that they made her uncomfortable and that was one thing he didn't want to do. Make her question his motives. Make her not want to be around him. "I just..." Roland couldn't think of a good lie that didn't sound super creepy.
"Can't stand to see children being sold off like cattle," He said. Which was true. As far as he was aware, "They don't tell us the details," Right? Were they supposed to know? Did she tell him? Roland couldn't keep his story straight. There was an odd mix of feelings. Both I've found Mine and Why does she hate me?
"Maybe my conscious caught up with me," He lied again. It wasn't his conscious. He was selfish and didn't want His to go to a different man when he could woo her and ... Maybe make His want him back.
"I can make little balls of light with magic. It's not a super useful skill, at least not for making money." At least she was pretty sure it wasn't something that could be considered in high demand. Her own little home was not an indication of the outside world at all. Nobody would find her useful except her home with its traditions.
Or her stupid not-husband who only saw her as a means to make himself more money and to produce babies with.
Pyria scowled at his explanation, plucking at her mount's mane in frustration. He didn't make any sense to her, and therefore couldn't be trusted. It was just that simple. Besides, her father had hired him to take her off to be married. Even if he said he didn't like that, well, who could say for sure if he was lying or not?
"I didn't know many mercenaries had consciences." She grumbled, folding her hands and tilting her head back to look up at the sky, still frowning. This mercenary was the best shot she had right now. Maybe antagonizing him wasn't the best idea.
Sighing heavily she looked back to him and tried not to look or sound quite as annoyed as she truly felt. "Look, uh, Topaz?" That's what he called himself, wasn't it? "Thank you. For saving me, and helping me. I know I probably sound like a spoiled brat to you, but I do appreciate what you've done for me and what you're offering. It's just one of those things were if something seems too good to be true it probably is, you know?"
A mercenary that was her enemy spontaneously switching sides to help her was kind of...just like that.
Roland felt his ears pin back involuntarily when she mentioned consciences. How many times had he had to tuck his away? Why was this time special? Because she smelled wonderful? Because he'd felt more at home the night before when he kept her close than he ever had? Roland licked his lower lip before he caught it between his teeth while he walked. A brief glance to her while she was looking up at the sky and he opened his mouth... Nothing came out.
He wiggled his ears to move them from their pinned back state and he watched the grown while they walked... Topaz? For just a second he was back at his tribe. His elder was there, the talk they'd just had about his future there. No female would want him after his child had died inside the last one he'd laid with. Bad luck. Terrible fortune. Topaz smoothed his hand over his chest, feeling his heart lurch, lost in the memories before he jerked his head to the girl.
Orange eyes wide, he stared at her for a moment before right. It'd been fifteen years.
"Roland," He corrected softly, " My name is Roland. Topaz is..." He paused, "My title." he carried on, letting his head process more of what the girl said before he got pulled away into it. He took the reins of the horse and stopped it, standing beside the girl and looking up at her.
"Just... Trust me, please?" His voice was soft, a quiet beg. "I just want you to be safe. I'll die for you. So please. Please. Just trust me. This isn't too good to be true because you're not in the clear yet. And you've almost been eaten by a beast. I just want you to be safe and happy." He said. Her happiness was key now. It didn't matter what happened to him.
As long as His was happy, he would follow suit - even if that happiness wasn't with him.
"C'mon," He said sharply, moving again and tugging on the horses reins. They should move. The longer his previous companions had to wait, the angrier they would get and Roland wanted to be as far away from them as possible.
Pyria frowned as her spontaneously loyal guard seemed to not really be there for a moment. She wondered what thoughts had dragged him away. Whatever memory had snared him didn't seem to be a pleasant one and her frown was less scowl and more concern as he rubbed at his chest for a moment. When he jerked his head to look at her again she turned her head slightly and cast her eyes down so she wasn't staring at him.
She wondered if staring got offensive. With humans being the most populous race in the world – as far as Pyria knew – it probably got old being started at by humans when you looked so different.
Hearing his voice softly made her lean forward slightly, blue eyes drawn back to him as she listened to him tell her his name. Delicate eyebrows arched gently at the correction. His name was Roland? That seemed like such a bland human name for a scaly lizard puppy man-thing. What did he mean by title? She thought about asking, and then thought better of it for now.
"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't know. Last night you called yourself Topaz, so I just assumed." Pyria had a moment of panic, heart trying to creep back into her throat, when he made the horse stop. Was he going to reconsider? It was probably a decent amount of money he was giving up in exchange for nothing but trouble and she wouldn't blame him if he chose to side with her father and the other mercenaries. That, at least, would make way more sense than the words spilling out of his mouth right now.
"Just... Trust me, please?"
Pyria had never heard words spoken in more earnest while simultaneously being so absurd. A complete stranger of a different species, a mercenary hired by her father to escort her to a husband she didn't want, and he begged her to just trust him while claiming he would die for her and wanted her to be safe and happy.
Her own family seemed unconcerned with her happiness, why should he care? It was surreal and strange and too much to fully wrap her head around. Logic would tell her this Roland was after something she just hadn't thought of yet, but he seemed so genuine.
Either he was a very good actor or he meant what he said.
"I don't really have much other choice but to trust you." That much was true enough. She already proved woefully inept at being out here by herself. Roland had saved her life once already, and he was all the protection she could currently count on. It sounded horrible even to her as she thought it, but the giant mercenary could definitely come in handy if she actually could count on his loyalty.
She just wished she knew why he was suddenly so eager to protect her.
"You never did answer me yesterday. Although, I guess the question was posed pretty rudely at the time. I've never met or seen someone like you. What is your kind called?" Pyria questioned quietly as they started moving again, Roland tugging at the reins to lead her horse.