Love? [Tryphena and Asterion]

[Jotari]

Tryphena remembered falling from the horse and then darkness. When she had faded in for a moment strong arms were carrying her and she made out the hazy head of an animal with these beutiful eyes. But then things faded back into darkness. Tryphena once again regained her senses and she was lying on something soft with a dark-haired woman watching her from the doorway of the cave. Once the woman saw Tryphena was awake she turned on her heels and disappeared outside. The princess lay still and raised a gentle hand to her forehead. She remembered that the dark-haired woman had been the one to stop the horse.

Slowly she raised herself and instantly felt dizzy. She moaned softly and the color washed out of her face as pain washed over her. Hitting your head on rock was not something she suggested. She was forced she lay back again and wait until her head cleared. The princess thought carefully to who the woman could be and why was she in a cave? Her eyes snapped open again realising that she was with those horrid outlaws that she had heard rumors about. Was the dark-haired woman their leader? Black Square was it? Tryphena couldn't remember right now. But she did remember that the outlaws were suppose to be blood-thirsty ruffians. Why had they saved her? Tryphena you little fool, of course they will keep you alive! You're clearly wealthy and they can ransom you! The thought scared and intrigued her at the same time.

These thoughts had all been in the course of a few moments and looking around the room Tryphena suddenly realised she wasn't alone. If he had been there or if he had come in, there he was. A massive minotaur. Surprisingly, Tryphena didn't scream. She did give a startled gasp but quickly recovered. Her mouth felt dry but she managed a smile, " Hello? " Her voice was kind yet inquisitive. She did not see a monster, she saw life.

[kite]

A s t e r i o n

He'd be watching her sleep for a few minutes, and while it was his idea to not leave a head-wound patient on their own, he found himself feeling rather embarrassed for keeping such a close eye on her. But he couldn't help himself. She stirred and he shuffled backwards, his brows slanting upwards in worry. He grunted and tried to push himself back into the shadows, but it was a small space. The Princess would see him no matter what. Ears pinned back as he felt a uncommon welling of panic within him. And just when he thought he might charge out as he heard a sharp gasp from her chords, she murmured the softest 'hello?'. Awkwardly, a hand reached over and rubbed the back of his furred neck before grunting a low, baritone reply.

"Er.. Hello.."

It was barely audible, he hardly heard his own words himself. Feeling more and more shy by the minute, he found himself quickly thinking to himself why he was even bothering. She was a Princess.. And even if he was the most handsome human, he was an Outlaw. In reality, he was an Outlaw AND a Minotaur. Not even the same species as her. The chances were less than slim, they were none existent. And he felt a dull ache of defeat fill his broad chest. Giving a snort, he turned his back to her, busying himself. He had a job to do. And thinking about her was distracting him from it. He had to rid himself of these ridiculous thought. But as he glanced back over his shoulder, he couldn't help but continue to admire to sweetness. The cave was small and the fresh Spring air still had a bite to it when the sun disappeared behind the mountains. Clearing his throat, he picked up an extra blanket and placed it gently over her lap. The motion appeared clumsy, with such large hands, but it was done tenderly. The beasts did not meet her eyes.

"Gets cold.."

Was all he grumbled, as he ambled to the other side of the cave and leaning up against the wall, folding his muscular arms across his smooth, naked chest. His form was so large, and covered in such thick muscle the cold hardly touched him. All he wore were loose fitting pants of a thick, rough material. Nothing like the fine garment that fitted snuggly around her willowy form. The differences between them were becoming more and more painfully clear.

[Jotari]

His gruff ways startled her a bit but she kept her composure. He roughly handed her the blanket and she fingered the hem thoughtfully. Her gorgeous dark blue eyes glanced outside where she saw several young children peeking in. She smiled at them and they backed away shyly. One little boy, only about three years old, raced over and boldly looked at her. The child glanced at the minotaur and then did a clumsy imitation of the stance and look. This made the Princess laugh softly but a slight concern came over her eyes. The children were shabbily dressed. Goodness knows the adults of the group were scrambling to stay alive but still it wasn't easy keeping this group going.

"What is your name?" Her sweet voice asked the child. He muttered something, trying to act like his model Asterion. A cool blast of evening air made him shiver a bit though. It made Tryphena shiver and she knew she was better dressed then any of them. Without even really thinking about it she gave the blanket to the boy. The boy grinned and lost all his former "imposing" composure and darted away giggling. Several other children clustered into he doorway but very soon motherly voices could be heard and the children disappeared into the growing shadows.

Tryphena glanced at Asterion, "and you? May I know who you are my brave warden?" She shook her head in a merry sort of fashion with a smile on her lips. She had been startled but now she was not afraid at all. Shy perhaps, but not afraid. "Excuse my manners, my name is Tryphena. Thank you for saving my life. I couldn't have held on to my horse much longer. You need not look at me like that, I won't bite." The gentle smile always on her lips and a kind look in her eye. " Trust me, I'm a horrible liar." She laughed and waited to see what he would do.

[kite]

A s t e r i o n

A pleasant feeling tugged in his chest as he watched her with the children. She gave up the blanket easily, and he felt suddenly worried that she would now be cold, but was touched by her compassion for the little ones. They were cheeky, but they were good little humans, and he knew each by name. The Minotaur became flustered as she turned her attention back to him, asking his name, even calling him brave. Uh. She wasn't the least bit intimidated. Unusual for one of her social standing. Minotaurs were often used as slaves and labourers that worked for greedy, fat merchants. They were often violent after being treated so poorly, and so they carried the reputation of being hostile, mindless monsters. And while such opinions would surely be thought of as fact in the court of the King, the Princess showed no evidence of being corrupt by them.

"Asterion."

The beast replied proudly. It was the name of his Grandfather, a minotaur he greatly admired. His chest puffed out, obviously patriotic to his kind and his lineage. But he was not overly boastful and soon returned to his work. He pulled over a large crate, one that would take three men to carry. Cracking open the lid as though it were as thin as paper, he pulled out the contents and began sorting through them, organising them into categories. They were in the storeroom after all. There was little space to spare in the mountains. The crate was branded with the crown's emblem. It, like many of the items here, was stollen goods. He almost laughed as he wondered if the Princess counted as stollen goods as well..

Sliding down the wall, the great, bulky creature hunched over the crate that was in fact quite large, but seemed dwarfed in comparison. It made for a amusing sight. Salt, sugar, wheat, flour, spices - all kinds of necessary items for a kingdom to live off. Or a sizeable band of outlaws. He made three piles. One for the higher ranks, one for the warriors and one for the women, children and the elderly. The last was the largest. The first the smallest. It was how things worked around here. Black Star's orders, and he was happy to obey them. Asterion's vibrant amber eyes, that while shaped like an animals and had a wild, animalistic spark to them, stared with the control and intelligence of a man.

"Didn't save you. Black Star did."

He replied, and though he did not respond to her other comments with verbal likeness, he gave her a shy smile, a short-lived show of emotion - other than general toughness. He was trying to keep his distance, but she was just so damn friendly.. And beautiful...

[Jotari]

Asterion, the named kinda rolled of the tongue but it certainly was not the name of some weak creature. A bird named Asterion would just seem wrong, but a Minotaur? It was perfect. She pulled her knew to her chest and rested her head on her knees as she watched him. She wondered who was in this group, it was clear this was the Grellon. Then he said something else, that Black Star had saved Tryphena. I remember, the dark-haired woman. That's Black Star? I thought she was suppose to be more scary, no offense. She was not taunting, this was actual confusion. How could a woman like that be leader of a band of murdering thieves?

Something told her that this band wasn't everything it appeared to be. Why? If they weren't actually murderers then why did they try and keep that image? Murderers did not usually keep children around yet every once in awhile a child would peek through the doorway, like one was now. Tryphena smiled and the child giggled but the child did not giggle because of Tryphena. The outlaw leader seemed to be playing with a coupe of them outside the door. There was a strangely unrealistic growling noise and then Black Star chasing the children back to their beds. Squealing they rushed back to hide. This was not an uncommon sight in the evening for the Grellon, Black Star seemed to like to give time to everyone she possibly could. But Tryphena focused on the minotaur.

I appreciate your leader but when I came to my senses for a moment that wasn't Black Star looking at me. Thank you Asterion. She pulled her knees back under her chin and watched carefully. Sighing she stood and then walked to the crate, not missing the crown symbol. Tryphena thought that these things were better here, for children and elderly. Tryphena knelt down and started helping sort the things. She quickly guessed his method and it gave her something to do. You don't talk much do you. It was more a comment then a question. But she thought she may as well try to lure the fellow into some sort of decent conversation. I find it interesting that for "murdering thieves," the Grellon seems very nice. Sarcasm on the words 'murdering thieves' made it clear that she did not think that these words were true. She laughed suddenly and glanced at him with amused blue eyes. This morning I left the castle trying to escape my mother and two suitors. My mother is demanding I choose one of them, which I hate. She wrinkled her nose in disgust, arranged marriage was all that was and she detested it. But father won't let me get married, not yet.Sadness crept across her voice and a frightened look in her eyes. He is working with a Muratian ambassador. My own father may force me to wed Magrej himself. She shook slightly but not from the cold but from pure and utter fear. Tryphena would do anything to avoid that fate. The cool wind brushed through her golden hair as she return to the pallet and once again drew her knees to her chin. Sorry about that, but I am terrified of Magrej. She smiled at him, " You're pretty easy to talk to Asterion." But there was still lingering fear in her eyes. Magrej was something to fear more then anything else.

[kite]

A s t e r i o n

Entranced by her sapphire-jewel eyes, he continued to meet her gaze again and again, in short, fleeting moments, like a deer tentatively sipping from spring water, but ever cautious of it's potentially dangerous surroundings. She didn't seem to mind his silence, and he did not mind her chatting. Her voice was like bells, joyful and pure. Yet even her melodic tone could not sweeten the sound of the Dark Lord's name. Visible rage coursed into his veins, his muscles tensing and pulsating with anger, his brows creasing deeply in his forehead as his eyes were cast in shadow, and his gaze narrowed and sharp. His reaction was for two reasons. Firstly, the mention of the fiend Magrej, and secondly at the thought of him with his greedy hands all over Tryphena. This coaxed him from his nature of few words.

"Magrej will soon get what is coming to him, and it will not be your sweet hand, but the sharp ends of my horns!"

Asterion grunted, his voice thick and heavy with malice and hatred, suddenly making the murderous thieves reputation a little more tangible. The stormy expression remained for some time, his scowl firmly in place. His obvious objection to the man was easily stirred and not easily cooled. But for the sake of the Princess, he spoke no more of it, and the darkness in his eyes faded and he awkwardly cleared his voice, shuffling in slight shame for his threatening actions. He had feared he had scared her. And all she had been was kind.

Darting his eyes across her form, he could without hinder see how even Magrej would desire her. He was a man after all, and she was almost inhumanly beautiful. At least that was what he thought of her. The beast contemplated that perhaps her Mother wished her to marry one of the two suitors simply to save her the fate of being wed to such a tyrant. The lesser of two evils. With a sting he thought, he wasn't even in the equation.. But as he watched those blue eyes peer at him over her knees, he wondered if maybe there was a chance to change that.

"You're a problem for us you know.. We could all be killed when we try to return you.."

Guilt sickened him for placing her with that kind of burden, but he was selfish in this... He wanted her to stay. She could be happy here - it sounded as though she were miserable at home, locked away behind those walls. He could make her happy.. It was clear that she was not one to hate the Grellon, perhaps she would stay here and make a new life, if she felt obliged to save them risking their lives.. It was an manipulative trick, but the beast didn't see himself getting another chance like this. He was 35 years of age, and still he had no one to fight for - of course he would always fight for Black Star, but.. She was like his Sister. That was not enough sometimes. He did not meet gaze with her for a while, focussing on the sorting, before adding.

"Magrej's wife just doesn't seem like a fitting title for you."

Hopefully that would be the final nail in the coffin to plant the seed of the idea that she was better off here. The only thing he needed to do was make sure that when Black Star heard of this, he was not said to be the conjurer of this idea. This was something that the Princess needed to think that she had decided all on her own. Black Star would soon work it out, and he knew his friend would understand. Besides, she knew the pang of loneliness too.

[Jotari]

She listened quietly twisting a piece of hair nervously. Standing, she rubbed her arms as if cold but the night air was not the problem. There was that dark fear in her eye, the look of terror. For a few moments as he spoke of running through Magrej with his horn, she rather relished the idea. "Father doesn't see it like that. He seems so blind. Even if I were married to Magrej what is to stop Magrej from simply breaking his promise? If I really thought that my marriage to Magrej would do anything, I would be the one wanting the marriage. A flicker of determination crossed her face. "I would do it to save lives. But Magrej already proved himself again and again that it would do nothing. She shifted her skirts and moved around the room a bit, "And yes, I do know I have put the Grellon at great risk. Truth is, I don't really want to go back. I admit I am use to life in a castle. But I really don't know where to go. I'm afraid that if I remained here that you and your band would have much bigger problems then you have now. I would always be afraid that they would find you." She bite her lip in aggravation and sighed, "and if I remain here and if Ellsinora found me, then I would be right back to square one, Magrej. But I would do anything, risk anything, to stay away from Magrej. Anything." The last word was dead serious with still that hint of fear.

Tryphena usually kept her emotions to herself, always trying to be everyone else's rock. Perhaps it was the bash on the head, the change of surroundings, the overwhelming fear and terror that she had been holding back, but or once she was allowing a stranger to know about herself. Tryphena had been startled at first but never fearful of him. She did not see him as just some slave, it was clear he was extremely intelligent and even gentle under that rough exterior.

She moved to the mouth of the cave with her back to him and ran her hand up her left arm slowly back and forth as if to keep warm. She could see flickers of light here and there and could make out forms of people. The Grellon was far from rich and wealthy, but it was clear that they were pretty happy up here. All the children had been smiling and Black Star had actually been playing with them. Asterion was quickly growing on her and perhaps she even had a crush on the silent fellow. Of course, for her to even think of staying Black Star would have to agree. Tryphena had no intentions of making the outlaw leader angry as no doubt, she was probably pretty skillful with that pretty dagger. But Tryphena could help, maybe simply tell her father no? Asterion sorta seemed to want her to stay with that look in his carmel colored eyes. She wanted to stay too. But Tryphena really had no idea how to go about asking if she even could stay.

[kite]

A s t e r i o n

"Even join the enemy of your Father?"

The Minotaur retorted, his gaze sticking to her hard and fast now. If she was to stay, there could be no risk of her betraying them. In his gut he knew she was truly afraid, he could sense it. Lets say it was his animal instincts. But the truth was, he needed her to be convincing for Black Star. She would not let her stay unless she believed she was no threat. She loved each and every one of the Grellon as though they were her own flesh and blood, and so did Asterion. They needed to be protected and cared for. She needed to be asked. There was no better time than the present...

"Black Star!"

The beast bellowed, craning his neck towards the cave entrance. She was still floating around, he was sure. He could smell her. There was not much to say, the Princess would figure out what was happening soon enough. Arrangements were considered carefully, but made in the blink of an eye at the same time. Things had to go quickly, for the enemy was ever-moving, and it was a matter of being sneakier and faster than them. There was one last test. The beast shifted his eyes but not his neck towards her and in a low voice murmured,

"There is a chance you can never go back if you stay here."

This was all happening at once, but he could feel it was right - this was the right thing to do. If he did not act on these feelings now, make this happen now, the opportunity would be gone and would vanish from his grasp. It was now, or never.





OOC: flu makes my posts shorter.. .___.'

[Jotari]

Tryphena looked him straight in the eyes, "Never going back would be a wonderful thing. Freedom versus slavery, being a princess does not mean you have a good life Asterion. Your people have something I treasure, freedom." Her tone was suddenly steadied but she jumped a bit as Black Star darted in with ever quick movements. Black Star and Tryphena looked at each other. The blond maiden looked nervous while the dark-haired ruffian was almost cold. The outlaw queen nonchalantly walked to a crate and settled herself. Tryphena glanced nervously at the outlaw queen and then the minotaur. I would like to stay with the Grellon. She blurted out suddenly and then shyly pulled back. Black Star looked thoughtful, "So I heard princess." The outlaw glanced at Asterion and ran a hand through her dark hair. " As he said, there is no going back. I refuse to allow a foolish girl to open up the Grellon for attack. My followers have problems enough.

Tryphena knew this was it. She had to impress the outlaw queen. Tryphena had to make Black Star see that she needed to be here, with the Grellon. In a way, perhaps with Asterion. Tryphena decided to take the only approach she had ever seen take any true affect with personalities like Black Star. Though Asterion seemed kind, Black Star seemed to be a whole other game. " I order you to let me stay." Tryphena was desperately trying to impress but this was possibly the worst thing she could have done, even though her voice shook. Black Star's eyes darkened dangerously and her voice became a hiss, "Order? You order me to let you, a stupid girl, stay in my village? You may be the princess but here I am queen and queen trumps princess any day." Black Star's voice never rose over a hiss but the entire mood of the room darkened in the outlaw leader's eyes blazed a black fire with scarlet flickering here and there.

Tryphena did the smart thing. Instantly she feel back against the wall and slid to the floor, covering her face. For a few moments, it was a very animistic scene. The alpha standing tall and proud while the subordinate crouched in terror. Tryphena whimpered, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I know milady, I thought that I could try and impress you! Please I beg for your protection! My father will marry me to Magrej and I can't go there, I will die, Magrej will kill me! Please mistress!" Those finals words was the ultimate plead for a princess. It made it very clear that she understood who was in charge and was more then willing to live like this. Her enormous blue eyes looked up cautiously, begging for sanctuary.

Black Star's eyes faded slightly but they were still a sickly shade of greenish blue. She was not as angry, but still in a bit of a huff. She looked at Asterion, " I will allow her to stay solely for you. But she is your responsibility until she shows herself of some use then a mantel decoration." The outlaw queen basically snarled silently and then stalked out. Tryphena started to silently sob. She hadn't meant to insult Black Star, she was to naive to understand this completely. Now she knew Asterion would hate her too. Oh this was awful!

[kite]

A s t e r i o n

The beast could see has soon as Black Star entered things were not going to go well. The look that Tryphena adopted into those blue eyes was far too strong. She would need to show a little more respect if she was going to impress Black Star. Unfortunately she made the most gravest of errors in her choices of tone and words. As his commanded then soured and hissed in reply to the Princesses demands, completely flattening any pride she has as a royal, he found himself immediately rising to his feet. His back hunched in the small cave, and the tense atmosphere then felt squashed as he towered over the two women, stepping in front of Tryphena, blocking Black Star's path to the young Princess. It was a move that he did not regret, but was still unsure of.

Thankfully, Tryphena made a hurried apology, begging for forgiveness. That was the best way to seek Black Star's forgiveness, play on her softness. She may be a weathered leader, but she was still kind and gentle, and her mercy was still alive and well. He knew Black Star would be hurt by his choice of defending the Princess in some small way, but he also knew she would not show it, for she knew him better than any. And if this was true, she would remember how he felt about protecting the weak, and even though Tryphena would eventually grow stronger and more capable once she learned the ways of the Grellon and a life outside caste walls, Black Star would always be the more dangerous of the two. To his commander's instructions, he simply nodded, a sharp motion that showed his complete understanding of her requirements of him. Yet his glare remained, and his nostrils were flared. He had wanted her to go easier on Tryphena at first. But then again, she would not learn if that was the way things had went. Once they were alone, he turned to Tryphena and crouched before her, placing one wide but careful hand over the entirety of her shoulder in a comforting gesture.

"Are you alright?"

He waited for her to calm a little. Her tears ripped at his throat and caused anger to rise within him, but not at Black Star, simply because of the way the little Princess felt.

"It takes time to know her. But for now, I suggest you don't get under her feet."

He felt he had to be brutally honest with her now, let her know exactly what she was getting herself in to.

"Here, you are no Princess. Not to the Grellon, and especially not to Black Star. You are another mouth to feed, another body to work.. But also another family member to look out for."

That was right. Here, the Grellon were a family. And while there were ranks, no one was truly above another. She would have to learn that. But quietly, within the safety and silence of his heart he thought to himself that even though she would just become another peasant girl here, she would always be a Princess to him..

[Jotari]

Tryphena raised her blue eyes to meet his carmel ones and nodded. She overstepped and over judged and she had payed for it. Black Star was very scary and the princess had absolutely zero intentions of making her that angry again. But Asterion certainly helped. She shivered a bit and stopped crying. Listening she nodded and understood. This was all very new and she had no idea what the heck she was doing. " I know now and it won't happen again. " She managed a smile, " The stories of the Grellon being an awful band may not be true, but I think the stories of Black Star may have some truth after all. I've never seen eyes like those, and everything seemed to get darker, like she was pulling at my fear." Tryphena shuddered again but quickly wiped her sleeve across her face to wipe away the tears. " At least she is letting me stay. I think I would pity anyone who came to this village uninvited."

Now she had seen all aspects of the Grellon. Tryphena had seen how close they were, that they cared for one another. She had also seen their mischievous spirits and good will. But Tryphena had also seen why the Grellon had a nasty reputation. Black Star and her followers didn't want to be disturbed and so had built stories and fables to scare people away. But in those moments that Black Star had stared into Tryphena's eyes, Tryphena had felt pure terror. Like the outlaw queen would willingly kill her and enjoy it. There was a dark side to all of this. But Tryphena would not trade it for anything.

She looked at him steadily again, "I honestly have no choice but to learn how to live here. I have no idea what I'm doing Asterion! It doesn't help that I just ticked off Black Star, though I think she seemed a bit better before she stormed off, her eyes had changed color again. Why do her eyes do that anyway? She a fairy or something?" She shrugged and moved on, "Asterion please help, teach me what I need to know so that your group will become my family." Her request was made very simply and the fear was gone from her eyes. Instead, the blue embers brimmed with complete and utter trust in his abilities. The young woman trusted him with every fiber of her tiny being. She did not fear him in the least, she saw past his form straight to his heart. His motions of getting between her and the outlaw leader had not gone unnoticed at all and were very much appreciated. She would trust him and if he said jump off a cliff, she knew he would be there to catch her. Or at least have some great plan of how to survive anyway.

ooc- tired and no longer able to read my own typing o.O G'night see you later!

[kite]

A s t e r i o n

The beast smiled, a rough, somewhat awkward expression, though it was not without a rustic charm. Carefully, he gave up his seat and stood, still having to stoop a little to make his height manageable within the confines of the doored cave.

"I will do my best."

He believed she would also do hers. The determination he saw in those pretty blue eyes did not go unnoticed, and he would surely see through the deception of a human. Most of them were terrible liars. His species still firmly grasped their animalistic roots, and with such a tie, they were able to sense things that humans could not, detect things that would otherwise sail beneath the radar. The minotaur snorted and reached around to rub one large hand through the thickness of his fur on the back of his neck.

"I'd better get going.. Chores to take care of, you can start by sorting out the rest of these crates. Put you back in Black Star's good books if she sees you doing your part."

In truth he needed some time to breathe. He felt as though he had been holding cold air within his lungs ever since she had timidly said 'Hello'. He was unused to the ease she had about him, and her beauty, and her voice - everything about her was foreign, exotic, and overwhelming. He needed time to accustom himself to this.

"Tomorrow I'll show you around the village, you can get to know everyone."

There was a long pause, and then a rushed nod of his head, as though he was sure he should bow but felt so hunched already that it would be a meaningless gesture. Instead he left it at that and turned heel and slipped out the door, closing it softly behind him. On the other side he lingered for a time. Still savouring her scent as the sweet perfume slowly was swallowed by the cold mountain air. With a deep breath, he stalked purposefully into the camps, his axe firmly gripped by his side as he headed off into the sea of ragged but joyful villagers.