i pray you're not busy (C)

[hobbit]

You know what they say: one a day keeps the doctor away. No need to over indulge one’s self. This was why Rashok was quite confused when the haze cleared from his mind and he found himself walking down that familiar alley, where battered woman flaunted what they had, hoping for one of the men to stop. Oh, Rashok had most certainly come down this alley before. However, he had his fill and had no desire to pay a woman when he was tired and wanted nothing more than to retire to his chamber- alone. He could definitely turn back, but Rashok was already more than half way down the alley; turning back would mean a longer walk, and he wasn’t in the mood for such a thing.

The Muratian general did not look at his feet as he walked, but he avoided eye contact with the woman. Looking them in the eye was like showing a dog a piece of meat; they would come to him. There was one woman, however, that caught his attention. She always did; it was why she had become the man’s favorite, his go to gal. Older men warned against having a favorite, as they all offered the same thing in the end, but Rashok had not listened. His rebellion hadn’t been to spite them, for he did not care about those fools enough to spite them; he certainly didn’t love the woman, nor did he feel anything for her. She was simply good at her job, and why not go to someone that was good, if he was shelling out some coins?

Rashok found his feet carrying him to the woman, and he paused only a few lengths before her. Perhaps he had been wrong before…gazing at the woman, the curves of her body, all his earlier urges suddenly rushed back to him. “I pray you’re not busy,” he muttered, and that was all he said. This was business, after all. He wasn’t going to treat her like a friend, when she was only a supplier.

[Deidra]

Gwen the fiery haired beauty all 5'5 feet of her stood in a cluttered wench filled alley. Oh sure they all gave put out, but she was still vain in her thoughts. To her these other women were just sideshows to the ones she could put on for a man, if only he paid well. The alley grew dark and Gwen sighed the night being her favorite time, the time that her job really started. Men walked either which way down the alley picking out whichever prostitute he felt would give him the best time that night. Oh how Gwen loved her job, but it was only until recently that she had only done it for the money....now much more was at stake.

Gwen began reflecting on the last few days, her sickness, her realization, and shuddered. All was different now, all because of one man she knew it were true. The one whom always picked her and the male she had grown to love even though her profession made that a hazardous thing to do. Gwen's eyes flitted back up and then widened for what she saw there was like a bad nightmare and the best dream. Coming down the alley was none other than Rashok....father to her unborn child. Her mind was reeling, how would she possibly go about telling him this news? Her stomach did flips from the nervousness. As he approached it looked quite obvious that he would stop, and she would take him into the room but she would have to tell him that night for sure. And indeed he did stop in front of Gwen, her eyes peering into his as he spoke. "For you I'll never be busy" came her reply quite flirtingly. She was never serious, so her actions tonight would most likely catch Rashok off guard.

[hobbit]

One of the reasons he had come to enjoy this woman was because she didn’t often flirt. Hell, Rashok couldn’t clearly remember a time she had attempted to. Most of the others did; they seemed to be under the impression that doing so made them more beautiful, and the man found flirtation to be annoying. If he wanted to flirt, he wouldn’t be standing in an alley full of prostitutes. The way the red haired woman replied to him did not make Rashok do much more than frown slightly; he was not a person that bothered to constantly express each and every emotion.

However, he was not about to complain. The frown faded, to be replaced by his usual expression, which did not betray any emotions. The man did not have to be shown where to go; he approached the door that led to Gwen’s room, looking over his shoulder before opening it. “C’mon, then,” he muttered before walking in.

Rashok was not a romantic.

The man paused in the middle of the room, before turning to face Gwen upon hearing the door close. He was not one to overly worry about things, but there were things that concerned Rashok. He had brushed off her earlier words, and her tone, and while he did not show any concern or puzzlement, he’d be a liar if he said he didn’t feel any. As usual, Rashok did not speak. Nor did he approach the woman. That, after all, wasn’t how it worked.

[Deidra]

As she shut the door Gwen's eyes racked over the body of the male who stood before her. It was strong, muscular but not too much so that it was unappealing, just the way she liked him. She would know it blindfolded if she had too. But tonight not a night for pleasure but a night for surprises, and she was the one handing them out. Striding forward she came to stand in front of him as was her normal custom, but did not go any further than that. Gwen looked up at him all emotion washed from her face as she prepared herself to tell him her heavy news. She took a deep breath and looked away from him as she started to speak. "Before this goes to far Rashok, there is something that must be said." she pelulled her face to look at his, taking in his face as she has only done so many time before.

Stepping forward she placed her hand upon his shoulder Though it felt awkward and promptly dropped it. She was stalling still trying to think of the best way to go about this. Finally taking a step
Away from him once more and turning her back to him she spoke her news. "I'm with child Rashok, your child." was all she said and she strode behind him to sit upon the bed. Now all she could do was wait for his reaction, good or bad. Either way it didn't matter she was stuck in her situation whereas he was not so stuck. He could simply leave Gwen on her as so many other males would do. Not wishing to become a father of a wench's child they would bolt and leave the woman to fend for herself. Gwen only wished that this would not become her plight but only those of others less fortunate.

[hobbit]

A single brow arched as the woman moved to stand before him, but stopped there. He was not in the mood for games. There was a pattern that Rashok followed, simply because he needed some sense of order in his life. The man’s eyes flashed as she looked away from him, taking a deep breath as if she was about to reveal from terrible secret. The man stared into her eyes, though it wasn’t a friendly look. It was the look of a man incredibly impatient, and more than prepared to simply walk out the door. Her words, however, intrigued him and while the look remained in his eyes, he certainly did not look as if he was going to walk out on her.

He did, however, stiffen slightly when she moved closer, placing a single hand upon his shoulder. Rashok would have shrugged it off, but the prostitute quickly removed it herself. “Are you going to talk? Or are you going to pace?” Rashok growled as she turned and stepped away from him. His question was answered when she turned to face him once more, and finally spoke. It was like someone had slapped him in the face. His jaw did not drop open, he did not fall to his knees; he simply stood where he was, staring beyond the woman, barely even noticing as she stepped around him and moved to sit on the bed.

Rashok had been told, when he was of age, that he was expected to have children- to continue the line, though he didn’t imagine his father had meant fathering a prostitute’s child. Anger suddenly overwhelmed the man, as if this was all Gwen’s fault. Children were vile things; he didn’t want any, especially not with a woman like this. The man spun around quickly and moved to stand near the bed, leaning against the wall. As he spoke, the man folded his arms across his chest, “Now, I’m not saying that you’re a liar…but, how do you know? You’re a whore, Gwen. I’m not your one and only,” he pointed out simply. Oh, he didn’t doubt that Gwen had put some thought into this, before deciding what man had fathered this child. He still wanted to know, though; he wanted to find a hole in her story. He would not have his first child with a prostitute. Rashok would deny this child, if she wished to press the case, though he hoped she wouldn’t.

It would get a bit bloody.

[Deidra]

Well you see this is were Rashok finally went wrong in his thinking though Gwen would not say it that blatantly. Since Rashok had made her his favorite she had yet to see more than three other males and well let's just say they don't put out as well as Rashok does and they weren't worth the money she got paid. So she politely responded to him her eyes smiling but her face was not. "Well you see, that's not quite as of late. Besides you I have had no one that could have even come close to father the child which I now carry." she said calmly to him as he stood there.

[hobbit]

Holes were easy to find in the woman’s story, primarily because she was a whore, and Rashok didn’t always have free time. Without other men, she could not make money, and a woman needed money to survive, didn’t they? A sigh escaped the man as he moved forward, unfolding his arms so that they hung at his side. The general sat down next to the red haired woman, draping on arm around her shoulders and pulling her close, as if attempting to embrace her, but when he looked down at her there was no warmth in his eyes. His love was reserved for one woman.

“Well, I’m not like this other men out there, Gwen. I won’t just run out,” he vowed, his voice little more than a whisper, “No, you need something to remember me by, aside from the parasite in your womb, of course,” he added, pausing to gather his thoughts before carrying on, “I hope that I’m the only person you told, because if you tell anyone else who fathered your child, I will find you after it is born. We have a device in the castle; reserved for the worst of criminals…it is designed to squeeze a man. They crouch like an animal and the bars squeeze them; blood pours out from every cavity in your body. It won’t be hard to have a child sized one made, and I’ve always been curious to see how it works on youth,” he grinned softly, “You…well, we have another tool. Cuts you in two,” he ran one finger from her stomach up to her chest, “It’ll stop about there, because of the bone. It’s relatively simple to use, too. We just tie you to the ceiling, and add cannon balls to your feet. You’ll hang above a block of sharpened wood. Gravity, and the balls, will carry you down, until you resemble Humpty Dumpty.”

The man withdrew his arm from around the woman and stood once more, moving in front of her before turning to look into her face, “Do not test me, Gwen,” he growled, “You know me. I don’t lie about these things,” he laughed before throwing a decent amount of coins her way, “Keep your mouth shut,” he reminded her before approaching the door.

[Deidra]

Hos words stung, more than anything though they sent chills down her spine. As he made to leave she knew she probably shouldn't speak but the urge overwhelmed her. By all means she had the right too so going against a sane persons better judgement she blurted out quietly "By all means who could I tell Rashok? You know as well as I that I have noone." A deep scarlet blush came to her fair skin. She turned her head away for a second not wanting to meet his angry gaze. She loved this man but right now she was afraid of him. Afraid that he would leave, or that he would hurt her and the baby even if she did keep her mouth shut. Gwen knew what news like this could do to his reputation and well, it was the last thing on her mind to ruin his rep. In no way was she going to give him cause to harm her.

Gwen finally steeled herself to look back at him, and face whatever may come from her comment. This was not her, she didn't normally put herself in these positions. But now she was and all she could do was look at Rashok from where she still sat on the bed. Her mind was in over drive, thinking of all the things that were yet to come. The mood swings, wretched cravings, and of course the child birth were all worries that had managed to stick themselves inside her thoughts. Oh how she wished that he would have taken this better, accepted it happily even. But she had already known he most likely would not, so why was she so upset now? Because she had truly hoped she would be wrong, that he would want to be a dad to her child....their child, but that looked like it would not be so.

[hobbit]

It would have been easy to end it all right then and there. No one would care if this woman’s throat was slit; it wasn’t like she had money, or anything to offer the empire. She was about as useful as a pile of dog shit, and the more he thought about it, the more he realized that dog shit did have some uses. Her words caused the man to freeze at the door, and his green eyes narrowed. Rashok turned to face Gwen once more, not speaking until the woman’s eyes met his. When they did, a sick grin pulled at the corner of his lips, “That’s the spirit,” he chuckled. All humor abruptly fell away from his face as he pulled open the door and was swallowed by the night.

His feet did not carry him to the castle, but instead toward a tavern. There were many things on his mind and he did not wish to sort through them; he simply wanted to drown them all away and focus on things he could understand, like death and pain. Rashok, for a split second, found himself hoping that there was a god out there; a god would ensure that the wrench didn’t talk, after all. The man was sure he could convince anyone of importance that she was lying, but even one believer outside of the two of them was one too many. He was a private man, after all.

He enjoyed his secrets.

[Deidra]

Gwenaelle sat there for a few moments after he left his words, all of them, had hurt her deep. She knew she should have been tougher after all the was Murate but even Murate people have hearts right? Obviously she was wrong though she still felt love, or what she thought was love, towards the man that had just walked out. Sighing she stood and walked to her door opened it and walked out closing it behind her. She looked down the alley and then made her way towards a nearby forest. She walked on for awhile before coming to a rather beautiful spot, for Murate that is. It was a tiny brook with a few large moss covered rocks lying on either side. Gwen sat down on one and stared into the water.

She had been there for about twenty minutes or so before she heard something rustling the leaves which lay on the ground and the sound of a distressed animal of some sorts. Standing quickly she hastily made her way towards the sound not sure wether to tread carefully or run right in to where the creature was. So instead she did something that resembled a mix of the two and crept up and peered over a bush, what she saw on the other side nearly broke her heart. There laying in the wet leaves was a skinny injured pup what breed was unknown to her. Gwen quickly made her way around the bush and to the side of the emaciated dog. Oh you poor little thing what are you doing out here all alone?! she said to the dog though of course it could not answer. I must take you with me now, I cannot simply leave you here to your death she spoke again to the pup as she carefully picked it up and cradled it in her arms.