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Back to a Dangerous Land (DragonSong)

Started by Kingfisher, April 29, 2018, 09:50:59 PM

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Kingfisher

Tara's tempo was clearly based on the pace of the song and proved easy enough to follow as Joshua mimicked the bards movements.  There seemed little else to do.  The music was simple; performed by warriors and hobbyists rather than true minstrels so the song itself was not hard you follow...

DragonSong

The bard closed her eyes for a moment, just allowing the music to move her. It was...nice.

"Thanks," she murmured abruptly after a few moments. "For, um...Y'know. Bringing me here. And all." She cleared her throat, looking away awkwardly.

Kingfisher

In the time he had come to know her, Joshua had never known Tara to be bashful.  This brief exchange seemed out of character, but given what he knew...which was precious little...gratitude likely came hard.

The smith drew her in close and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.  "It's no trouble," he promised.  He hoped her gratitude was not misplaced; Wolfram's willingness to offer help seemed suspect given his profession, but he did his best to hide his anxiety.

He continued to follow the bard before the music began to die down and people filtered off.  The couple that had called for the dance went off hand-in-hand, the young woman giggling as they vanished amid the canvas jungle.

Michael had already arranged a tent for the pair as well.

DragonSong

"Well, um..." Tara cleared her throat, then abruptly stepped out of the smith's hold, clasping her hands in front of her body. "Looks like they've got a tent set up. We should...get some rest."

Kingfisher

That seemed a good idea.  It was, after all, quite late, considering how long they had been dancing.  Joshua noted the bard's sudden nervousness, a sign her defenses were still down and the smith was unwilling to exploit the opening as the pair approached the canvas structure.

The tent was fairly spacious, held up in the middle by a tall pole with eight shorter poles reinforcing the walls.  The enclosure was internally partitioned by thickly quilted dividers that hung between the posts, creating a pair of quarters (a comically appropriate term in this case) on the side opposite the entrance.  The travelers' sparse luggage had been arranged about the entry, illuminated by a lantern that hung from a simple cord near the ceiling.  Joshua sensed, rather than saw the flame of the other two, hanging in their respective bedrooms...

"I...guess we have our own rooms," the smith said, dumbly.  He advanced toward one of the open flaps before pausing to turn to his companion.  "I...will be right over here if you need anything," he added, not wholly certain of his words.

DragonSong

Tara smiled at him vaguely, for the first time in a long time feeling a little out of her depth. "Right. Um, thanks. Same here?"

Awkwardly, she coughed and ducked her eyes, then mumbled a hurried, "Good night," and bolted for her side of the tent. Demons above and below, girl, pull yourself together! She needed to get a godsdamned grip.

Kingfisher

When the bard departed for her section, Joshua mirrored the act, ducking into his own corner as he undid the flap.  There was enough room for a camp bed as well as a sitting mat, spartan accommodations not unexpected among the ranks of this militia force and the rapidity of the tent's set up.

The quadrant was illuminated by a hanging lantern affixed to one of the poles, allowing the smith to find his unfolded bed and sit.  He was unsure how he felt about Tara.  He knew she was developing feelings for him but like her, Joshua found it hard to act on his own feelings.  He had been alone most of his life now and he did not want her to have to carry his baggage along with her own.

The young man sighed, trying to drive off his worries for the time being, undressing to his linen underwear and going to bed.  He would leave tomorrow's worries until tomorrow...

DragonSong

Tara couldn't sleep. She tried, she really did, but the combination of an unfamiliar environment combined with the lack of proximity to her traveling partner just...set of her off-kilter. She had gotten used to sleeping within an arms-length of the smith, knowing that if something were to happen, she would have backup within reach.

It wasn't as though there was really all that much space between them, but the partition made it feel like much more.

The bard tossed and turned for an hour or so before she finally sat bolt upright, glaring resolutely ahead. This was ridiculous.

With a huff, she wrapped her blanket around her shoulders and got to her feet, marching determinedly through the partition and around to Joshua's side. She pushed the curtain aside and strode to the smith's mat, flopping down beside him and turning onto her side so her back was to him.

"Scoot. I can't sleep."

Kingfisher

Joshua found himself doing as demanded almost without conscious thought, sliding back as the bard made to join him.  In the time the duo had been travelling, the smith had grown accustomed to being close to her and as much as his presence seemed to comfort her, he found her presence reassuring.

Perhaps had he been more awake, Joshua might have been in a frame of mind to reflect on these feelings or even the fact that his small cot was not likely wide enough accommodate the pair with any space between them.  He simply lifted his own blanket, offering what space he could to Tara so that she might join him.

DragonSong

The bard shifted back until she was properly on the cot, Joshua's warmth starting to tingle over her skin. She sighed softly, feeling herself begin to properly relax. Finally.

"Night," she mumbled as her eyes fluttered closed.

Kingfisher

It was hard to say what pleased the smith more: the simple presence of the attractive bard, or that his normally distant companion trusted him so much.  But as she began to fall asleep, Joshua folder his arm around her, wrapping them both in the confines of his blanket...
----
Night passes quickly in sleep and in what seemed like mere moments, light would filter through the canvas walls to wake the pair, even as the morning air was disturbed by the far-off sounds of the camp.

DragonSong

Tara slept through the night, which wasn't usually a common occurrence. She groaned quietly and rolled onto her side, butting her nose up against Joshua's chest as she did.

"Mmph." With a yawn, the bard struggled back to consciousness. She blinked, squinting against the morning light. "Joshua? What time is it?" she muttered, rubbing at her eyes.

Gods, she was just tired. And feeling...well, a little off balance. She couldn't remember the last time she'd shared a bed without-- without sharing a bed. It was strange.

Nice, but strange.

Kingfisher

Tara's movement had been enough to wake the sleeping smith.  He was a little surprised to the bard turned around to face him...before remember his physical state and rolling to avoid embarrassment.  He hid the act pretending he was trying to hear.

The sound of clattering wood could be heard in pockets but he also heard the voices of women shouting orders.  The odor of spiced porridge carried surprisingly well within the camp, suggesting how early it could be.  "Early enough for breakfast to be cooking," Joshua suggested, glancing back at his bed-mate.

The young half-breed had generally considered the fair bard attractive but had found the fact ignorable for most of their journey.  Now, perhaps ready to blame his grogginess, Joshua craning his face closer to Tara's, pressing his thin lips against her forehead.  It was a tender gesture, but ended quickly; it was the most intimate he had ever been with a woman and his inexperience showed by his rapid shift to scarlet.  "Uh...sorry," the smith said, offering a weak smile.

DragonSong

Tara pushed herself up onto one elbow and tilted her head at him slowly, considering. She couldn't deny the soft shiver the unexpected contact had sent down her spine, but she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to really explore what it meant. Not right this moment, anyway.

"You don't have to apologize," she said after a moment. "It's...alright."

Shaking herself, she turned to the side and climbed from the little cot, arching her back and reaching her arms up over her head in a long stretch. "Uhg. Gods, I'd kill for a real bed," she chuckled, only a little forced.

Kingfisher

Joshua, had a moment of hope when Tara said his kiss was "alright."  She had locked eyes with him for a moment and the smith suspected she had similar feelings for him.  The bard quickly changed the subject as she got out of bed.

The young man chuckled a little at his companion's complaint.  "I don't know.  Seems a step up from the ground."  He slid off of the straw-filled mattress behind Tara.  Glancing back down though, he had to admit, "It is a bit small..."  It was comforting, speaking of such small things.  There were problems in the world, and the pair was in a place inherently hostile towards them, making mundane concerns a secret blessing.

Still, Joshua had something he might to offer.  "Here," he offered, pressing against her shoulders to help work out some tension.  He focused a small amount of magic into his palms, using his the heat to help the woman relax.  "We should probably think about heading out soon.  Don't want people wondering too much..."

DragonSong

"Mmmm..."

Though she tensed when he touched her unexpectedly, when she realized what he was doing Tara was quick to relax back into his touch. She noted the use of his magic and applauded it silently, wondering if she might be able to employ such a tactic.

Probably not, fire had never been her strongest element.

"We can head out when you're done," she groaned happily, letting her head lull from side to side to work the kinks out of her neck. "Don't you dare stop..."

Kingfisher

As Tara stretched, Joshua's warm hands shifted closer.  Heat slid toward his fingertips and kneed his thumbs into the base of her neck.  He felt her tension easing as muscles softened under his touch.  He had few chances to just let his magic run wild; even the Ash Guards, as accepting as they could be, grew uncomfortable around magic itself and tried not to use it when possible.  Not to mention they were no true family to him.

Soothing hand slid lower, working another knot from between her shoulder blades.  To go lower, the smith stepped closer, his thumbs drawing rings along her spine, his massage trailing toward her waist.

DragonSong

Tara relaxed even further back into his hands, her eyes closed and a soft, contented hum thrumming in the back of her throat. As his hands trailed lower, a familiar if slightly disconcerting tingle traced up her spine.

"Ah, Joshua..." She swallowed, cleared her throat, and continued with a little laugh, "Um, whatchya aiming for there?"

Right, make a joke. That was safe.

Kingfisher

Given their time together, Joshua was finding it easier to recognize the bard's sense of humor.  That did not protect him from the moment of embarrassment when he understood her meaning.  He turned red at the suggestive comment and his hands reversed direction, sliding back up toward Tara's shoulders.

Sounds from outside the tent were starting to pick up; a clatter of wood not to far, the sound of crockery.  Conversations...many seeming to lack coherence for the time being.

DragonSong

A soft chuckle rumbled in his chest when his hands quickly started heading north again, though she tried to suppress it.

After a few moments listening to the sounds outside the tent, she twisted her upper body to face the smith. "We should...probably get moving," she murmured, almost reluctantly.

Almost despite herself, she made no move to actually follow her own suggestion. Yes, the massage was quite excellent, but if she was being honest with herself it was the closeness she found herself nearly intoxicated by. It had been so long since she'd been like this with someone else, just...with them. Sex was different, she could be sharp and passionate and in control. This felt...

Naked. Vulnerable.