All The Small Things (Dhiren&Marlena)

[Thea Lestrange]

The day was somewhat a dreary one, but it was the only day he had free to do whatever he wished. Most would have been very angry at the clouds and the threat of rain, but the young man who lopped along in the woods found it very calming and soothing. He enjoyed the cool air and the shade rather than the boil and toil of practice and work. It was rare that he got to do as he pleased and the fact that he was off today was enough to make a small smirk cross his strong features. His chest was covered from sight with a white loose shirt and his pants were a simple cotton cloth tucked into his calf high boots. Slung across his broad shoulders was a bow and quiver of arrows that he considered using to catch his lunch for the day. Perhaps a meal of rabbit would do nicely for the day and later on he could dine wherever his next meal popped up at.

Pushing back his thick mane of golden hair, Dhiren stepped into a line of trees and slowed to a stop when he heard a rustle of leaves. In a red flash, a small fox darted out of the brush and yelped as she saw Dhiren in her path, quickly turning the other way. The young soldier chuckled deeply to himself and watched as the small red fox slunk away into the safety of the woods. She was probably out hunting just as he was, and the sight of another predator had frightened the poor young fox. Dhiren mused that she most likely had a brood of pups somewhere who were crying for their own meal and had to smile to himself. Once as a child he had ran across a fox hole and found a group of newborn pups. They had been so small and weak, he had left a small bundle of dried meat at the foot of the hole and watched as the mother had returned to feed both herself and the pups. Ever since it seemed he had a small tenderness towards the sneaky creatures and always found them amusing when he ran across them in the woods.

Dhiren continued on his path, his feet silent from years of spending his days in the woods. Before his family here in Ellsinora, Dhiren had practically lived in the woods in order to survive. It was either that or suffer the ill treatment of Murate and their ruler. Thankfully he was found by his family now and he had never went without love or affection of a family. He also grew into a strapping young man, a young man who then became a soldier and enjoyed nothing more than serving Ellsinora. Of course there were a few times he had gotten into a few scrapes, but nothing he could not handle or redeem by a simple apology. That was one of his greatest assets, his humility. Dhiren had always been man enough, and brave enough, to say that he was in the wrong. To this day, Dhiren believed in humility and honesty. Where would he be without it?

Tracking along, Dhiren found himself a good spot to stop and looked out over a small crest of a hill. There, a good distance away, stood a home and a small barn with a fence. It was all well made from what he could see and he had to stop to admire the scenery. The sight was glorious from up here and he had to allow himself a sigh of longing. What would it be like to come home to a house like the one before him only to open the door and find a loving woman and children? Perhaps he was just looking into it too much, but as the years went by and his once bachelor friends all gained wives and children, he had to wonder what it would be like. They all seemed incredibly happy and did not look nearly as lonely as they had before. Perhaps there was some sense to the madness after all, he thought to himself as he walked down a man made path to the home before him.

He probably should turn back now, but he had not ever dared come across this way much in his time spent here in Ellsinora. It was nicely built, and the barn was in good use as he came closer in a slient blur. Was anyone even living here? If it were abandoned, Dhiren had to admit to himself that he would be rather upset because someone with a loving hand could make the home a very nice safe haven to lie ones head down at night. Shrugging to himself, he crept closer to the barn and peeked in to see a few animals here and there and the smell of hay. He enjoyed the smell but thought he heard someone else. A brow arched high above his hazel eyes as he turned around to look, but in a bright flash, Dhiren fell over onto the ground with a groan and then everything went blank.

[Deidra]

The day was already passing into noon as Marlena finally began working in the small kitchen of her home. It had been quite a busy day as she had tidied up in her small living room swept the floor and dusted the furniture. She had changed the bed linens in the two small guest bedrooms and her own room, though the guest rooms were hardly ever used now. But Lena found herself growing rather hungry now as she began to clean up in the kitchen so she paused to grab from her meager storage some bread and jam making a small sandwich of it and looked out her window out towards the edge of the dying woods.

The small home had appealed to her when she bought it off an elderly couple some years back they had wanted to move closer into town, whereas she had liked that the house was on the edge of the town nestled closed to the trees. So far not many soldiers had come this far to bother her but as she peered out her window now she came quite frightened by the appearance of a man out of the trees and Lena grabbed for her biggest pan and watched as the man advanced towards her home. For once she felt fear boil throughout her as she was just a woman, alone in her home. What could she do against a man? Marlena gave out a small growl inside her home, she’d be damned if she went down without a fight.

Gripping the handle of the pan Lena watched as the man advanced upon the fence and then entered her back yard walking into her small shed which held her chickens. “The hell with this I’m going out there.” She spoke aloud before quietly stepping from her back door and approaching the man who was at the moment snooping around in her shed. Taking her other hand she fit over her right and pulled the pan up over her shoulder and, as she came upon him, she swung just as he began to turn. Lena gave a rather loud squeak as the metal pan connected with his face and he fell with a groan to the ground at her feet.

“Oh shit, oh no!” She spoke quietly as her left hand flew to her mouth at what she had just done. Bending down she assessed the man’s face and winced as she noticed blood beginning to ooze from his forehead. “Oh my, oh goodness, I’m so sorry.” She said quietly though she quickly realized the man had been knocked unconscious by the blow. Setting the pan down beside her she torn a piece of cloth from her dress and dabbed gently at his head and studied his face with a sigh. The man was rather quite handsome in her eyes but she doubted he would think much of her once he woke up and realized she had been the one to knock him out.

After about a minute or two the blood stopped flowing and began to clot nicely which assured Lena it wasn’t too bad and that the only thing the man should suffer from is one nasty headache once he had awoken. Resting the man’s head in her lap she boldly but gently ran her fingers through his rather long hair pulling it away from the blood to keep it from getting stuck once it dried. “What am I going to do with you?” she pondered aloud “For I surely cannot pick you up, and I’m not entirely sure I could trust you within my home sir.” Another sigh escaped her as she sat waiting for the man to awaken from his impromptu slumber.

[Thea Lestrange]

Perhaps it was not a rather smart idea for him to be snooping around in someone else's yard, but the home was lovely despite its small stature and he could help but find himself admiring it, especially up close. The grass was incredibly green here, thick and lush; the perfect yard for a family in fact. When he had ventured out of his normal way through the woods today, he had not expected to come across this home. No, the most he had gathered he would find was many a humble shack and a few goats at the most. Instead he found himself standing before a home with his strong hands at his hips gazing out at a rather pretty home and a great view. His day off seemed to be getting much better than he had dared to hope it would indeed.

Dhiren looked about thoughtfully, wondering what a new fence and a fresh coat of paint or two would do for the place. It was just far enough outside of Ellsinora that it was secluded, but not so far as to make it isolated. It was a wonder he had not been out this way so far; it was in the perfect location to be alone and just where whoever lived here could travel into town. Dhiren himself would have loved a home such as this, but as he was a soldier, he was always within town living and working as hard as he could. If had a place like this to come home to at night, he would find a way to make sure he spent all his free time at home. The shed had a few hens and he had to grin as he peeked in at them. They were rather plump and squaling happily in their nest much to his delight.

He grinned ruefully to himself, happy that the owner of the home could at least have a fresh batch of eggs daily and perhaps be able to make bread and butter as well. As a soldier of Ellsinora, Dhiren worried about the people of the city. After the horror they had seen, the beauty lost, Dhiren hated to see that the people of Ellsinora were not doing their best. They were depressed, and with reason as well. The fall of their King, and now the tragedy of their homes destroyed. The mere knowledge of this person having something to help made him feel a little better and more hopeful. Maybe everyone can find something just as well here in Ellsinora until things got better. As he turned away from the shed, Dhiren thought he saw a flash of dark hair and blue eyes before a stinging raw pain that caused blackness to cover his eyes and the world to fade away.

As Dhiren fell to the ground, his big body slumped in a large heap of solider at the feet of Marlena. There was nothing but blackness in his vision, and the throbbing pain in his head. There would be no telling when the young man would wake up, and from the blood that flowed freely from his forehead, it looked as if he would be unconscious for a while. He groaned as something dabbed at his head, but stayed otherwise perfectly still. A large bruise would form soon enough, but with help Dhiren would heal easily as he was an incredibly healthy young man anyway. He moved some, and in his subconciousness, believed he heard someone speaking, but who knew? It would all be nothing more than a dream to him when he woke up eventually.

Eventually Dhiren felt that his senses were coming back to him and the pain in his forehead increased as he slowly woke up. His hand felt around on his forehead, testing the area where the blood had been, and finally he opened his almost green eyes and blinked rapidly before groaning and closing them again. Someone was speaking to him, soft words that he could not make out, and he believed there were fingers running through his rather longish hair. The feeling was rather nice and for a brief moment, Dhiren let himself relax against the person he heard speaking to him with a satisfied smile on his face. Slowly, his eyes lifted again and he blinked only to find a very beautiful young woman looking down at him. He tried to sat up, but found that the world could spin even faster and laid his head back down in her lap. "Well, for starters, I'd love to know the name of my attacker," he chuckled deeply as his head soon stopped spinning.

[Deidra]

Lyric

[/size]

The travel itself was nothing spectacular, now why would it be as there was no real beauty left in the land. It had all gone to waste in the six months of Magrej’s reign and now “his people” were suffering… again. As they walked Lyric felt the rage once again build up inside her at the scene that played out before them, them badly damaged houses, the smell of rot rank within the air. It made her think back to her younger years in Murate, as the town of Kiyer now resembled the Muratian town of Ohanzee now.

Lyric felt hot angry tears fall swiftly down her cheeks at the site. They were supposed to have defended these people! They were supposed to have fought back against Magrej! But no here they were beaten and tattered wandering through the town that shouldn’t even have to see such hard times, a town that deserved honor and glory, not peasantry and defilation. She finally turned her eyes down in shame, no longer able to look upon the peoples faces without feeling as if she had somehow let them down by still being alive.

She remained looking into Shetan’s black silken mane until she felt them come to a stop, the she lifted her tear stained face to Nikolai as he lifted her from the massive stallion’s back. Looking at him as he looked upon Marlena’s familiar house, it had been added on to in the years since she had stayed there. It’s semi hidden location had kept it from too much damage. It had been given a nice looking fence and a small shed like thing in the back yard that you could see over the fence. Lyric sighed heavily and wrapped a thin arm gently around Nikolai’s waste and whispered “We’ve let the people down, haven’t we?” more salty tears springing to her eyes as she looked up at his face.[/left]

---

Marlena

[/size]

His appearance in her backyard had thoroughly scared Lena, though she hadn’t expected her to actually knock the male out she had intended for him to be hurt enough that he wouldn’t think to hurt her. But now her gentle nature was taking over and she began to thoroughly worry about the man as she wondered when he would awake and what he would do when he did. Despite herself and her usual modesty Marlena found herself drawing a bit of pleasure of having such a handsome male laying in her lap. Her smile grew and her eyes danced before she brought herself to composure once more.

It wasn’t a moment too soon either as just she hid her smile, the males eyes flitted open and his hand moved to his forehead. Lena found herself sucking in a breath almost unknowingly as his eyes were just a beautiful as the rest of his handsome face. But then he closed them again and she felt almost.. sad? She didn’t know where these feelings where spouting from, she didn’t even know if this man were good or not! Mentally scolding herself she kept her face free from emotion as she watched him sit up quickly then lay it back down just as fast. She couldn’t help but give a quiet laugh then before he opened his eyes once again and posed her with a question.

Lena shook her head smiling “Attacker? For all I know you could be some Muratian spy/soldier come to take my home from me!” she said though she let out a little laugh. She was not one to get angry, she always seemed to find humor in bad things, in this way she survived. Shaking her head again she said “I’m going to take it on faith that you will not harm me sir, and give you my name if only you return the kindness.” She gave him a small smile before saying “I am Marlena Jatta, you have quite literally stumbled upon my home.” And then she fell silent waiting for the man to reply now.[/right]

[Thea Lestrange]

Dhiren could not remember a time he had been thoroughly knocked out, yet here he was in the lap of a woman who had did just that. Of course he had no idea that it was a woman who had knocked him out and caused the dull ache in his head. Or the ringing that seemed to be louder than shouts. No, all that he was knowledgeable of was the pain in between his eyes and in the back of his head down to his neck. That pain was anything from sharp to a dull hot ache that throbbed with each heartbeat. But a dead person did not have a heartbeat did they? Dhiren could not be sure since he had actually never died either. He could not feel the rest of his body for sure but he could not be in a virtual Hell could he? Dhiren could not think of anything horrible that he had done in life that would make him deserving of a such a horrid fate, but yet the pain he felt said otherwise.

He had always been a kind child, always making sure to do his chores and giving his mother a kiss on the cheek even though he was teased for it. When his father threw his back out, Dhiren took over making sure the harvest was brought in before the frost of winter and had even gained the respect of the men of the village. Any time there was dancing, he had made sure to dance with the girls most young men avoided, knowing that if he had a sister like them, he would have appreciated someone paying attention to them. There was a long list of his good deeds, so he was not too sure why he had fallen so low. He thought he heard someone too, so as he slowly opened his eyes to slits, he moaned from the light. His head pounded, and for a moment, he thought he saw a dark haired angel. But that couldn't be, he had fallen to a Hell. Mayhap she was his tormentor? Ah the irony of such.

When he finally opened his eyes all the way, he was met with a beautiful set of a dark haired angel. Or well, woman he was sure since he obvioiusly was not dead. Her small laugh made him smile as he too chuckled. "Then I must admire your bravery, fair maiden. Most would have screamed in fright. You bashed me upon the head." Her voice was rather lovely he had to admit, and of course he could not stop watching her as her eyes lit up and her smile broadened. Why had he never seen her before today? Surely he would have noticed her with her dark locks and big blue eyes. Upon hearing her name, Dhiren grinned sheepishly and chuckled. "That's a beautiful name, just like it's owner." Most would have said that he was purposely flirting with the young lady, but Dhiren was being openly honest with Marlena in his appreciation of her name. "I am Dhiren, soldider of Ellsinora and I apologize for stumbling ungraciously upon your home, Miss Jatta." Dhiren flashed her a bright smile as he looked up with her with hazel eyes.

[Deidra]

Marlena

[/size]

Marlena rolled her eyes at the male’s first statement. “Bravery?” she laughed quietly. “You call it bravery that a woman decides to not fall to fear when her home, the place she has worked hard to take care of for years, might be threatened?” shaking her head she had to smile. “I will not let that murderous king take my home from me like he took my brother, not without a fight at least.” She said defiantly though her features were too kind to hold anger, instead they held sorrow.

Marlena truly believed that her beloved twin brother was no longer among the living, assuming he had died either upon the ship that took him away from her or in Murate. She had hoped and prayed for years that she was wrong but by now her faith was beginning to waver just a bit. Lena pulled herself from her sorrow to hear the males compliment, which made her blush and she spoke lightly saying “You are too kind sir, might I suspect a form of flattery???” and she laughed once more her sorrow for now forgotten once more.

Dabbing gently with the hem of her skirt at a little blood that defiantly oozed out upon the edges of the drying scab she smiled down at the male as he now began to tell her who he was. Her eyes lighting up as he mentioned that he was a soldier of Ellsinora and she said “Never mind you’re wandering sir, and please call me Lena, but if you are a member of the guard then you must know the woman soldier Lyric Allionette, I believe she wouldn’t be too hard to know, as I heard it she was the only female among the guard.” Lena’s voice had now become low and eager, slightly happy as she added “Do you know if she is alright?” the blushed as she realized she was speaking quite fast and her words coming out in a rush, but this new discovery had somewhat made her trust the man on in her lap a little bit more.[/right]

[Thea Lestrange]

Ah but he enjoyed hearing her laugh. Dhiren chuckled lightly, as his head still hurt, and hummed a yes at her questions. "Yes, I do find that bravery and I find it admirable. You're brave and determined that no one shall steal your home from you." Dhiren smiled up at her, but soon that smile turned into a frown at her words of losing a brother. "I am sorry for your loss, Miss Jatta. These are dark days indeed." He could feel the small woman's pain, as if it were his own as he had with many of Ellsinora. She was filled to the brim with sorrow, he could see it in her eyes and loathed that the beauty had to feel such thanks to the murderous king.

There were so many lost now that Dhiren did not know if anything could be saved anymore. His own mother and father had to even seclude themselves in fear that they would come in harms way and he himself had to change from his regular status as a soldier and claim that he was nothing more than a farmer to the Murate soliders who asked. Dhiren beamed with satisfaction that his words had helped brighten her mood and he could not help but to adore the blush that stained her cheeks. "It is a honest praise, Miss Jatta. One can not deny that you are indeed beautiful," Dhiren's deep voice sounded almost shy as he responded quietly, closing his eyes for fear she'd read his sheepishness.

The smile on his face grew a good measure as she tended to the wound upon his head and told her politely who he was. He more than likely could sit up now, but wished to stay in her lap for a moment longer as she spoke. "Lyric Allionette? Of course I know Miss Lyric, she happens to be one of the best soliders I've had the pleasure to fight beside." He chuckled at her eagerness, the big smile that made her face glow and her eyes dance. "Ah, well...no, no I do not, Lena. She disappeared as well, but I am sure a woman like Miss Lyric is doing just fine," he quickly reassured her as her blush deepened. Ah, but if he could only touch that blush, he mused as he laid his head upon her lap with a sigh. "I lost many a good friend thanks to the new king we have."

[Desperanza]

Nikolai

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Nikolai's eyes glanced along the house for a brief moment before he sighed and turned his head away. He glanced towards Lyric thoughtfully with a faint smile as he nodded slightly in return but his dark eyes were filled with pain. This isn't what he wanted. He no longer wore the strap emblazoned with the mark of the royal guard but that did not matter because they would be dead if they did and none of them were acting as they should. However as he turned towards the house, he sighed, frowning. Inhaling slowly he drifted forward a bit before he turned back towards Lyric with a small nod, "I'm sorry, Ly. I'm really sorry. I never meant for things to be like this." he murmured, his tone tender and apologetic as he drifted closer to her.

His rough hands lifted, coming to rest at her cheeks for a moment as he stroked his thumbs gently along her cheeks before he turned his attention around them once more. Indeed the sight of the town in shambles around them caused him pain and regret. Shaking his head, he could do little to face the town with anything resembling pride for her had none at the moment and when he glanced at Marlena's house he frowned for he had not wished to bunk with anyone else, either. Despite that fact it would do for now. They needed a place to stay. He nodded slightly and glanced at Lyric briefly as he took her hand, "All we have now is each other. Perhaps a ray of hope will show soon." he muttered quietly with a heavy sigh as he nodded slightly in return, glancing to her briefly before he turned his gaze once again as he slowly approached the door once more.[/center][/font]

[Deidra]

Marlena

Lena shifted slightly, gently repositioning his head in her lap, trying not to be rude. Smiling she responded “I’m sorry about hitting you so hard, I swear I didn’t mean too, I guess I worked myself up too much.” Ignoring his comment about bravery now for she did not believe herself brave at all, only just an average woman like any other. At his next words she gave a soft smile “Yes, yes they are, good sir.” Her voice and way of speak ever polite. She was never one to be rude or uncourteous to another being.

She had been missing her brother for years now and had just in recent times started to move on, hoping beyond hope that he were still alive and happy somewhere, but had given up on him returning home to her now. She had learned how to live on her own and she was happy, if not a little lonely at times in the empty home. Then she looked up for a moment believing that she heard the sounds of a horse and voices not far off but returned to her conversation with Dhiren for the moment. A blush forming on her cheeks from his compliment before saying “Well thank you, though I do not see it in myself.” A small humble smile on her face.

As he spoke of Lyric her eyes lit up again before dulling as he said he did not know of her condition and she was about to speak when she heard the sound of hooves again and a woman’s voice calling her name. At first she thought she was hearing things until the gate swung open behind her and there, standing with a huge black stallion was the very platinum blonde woman she had been asking about. An excited smile crossed Lena’s face as she looked up at Lyric from where she sat almost forgetting the soldier in her lap. “Well speak of the devil.” She exclaimed happily though remained where she sat. Then she saw movement behind Lyric and she added “And I see you brought someone else with you as well!” always happy to have visitors Lena didn’t ask questions.

---

Lyric

Lyrics heart felt heavy as she continued to glance away from Lena’s house. She was slightly surprised that the house still remained in-tact unlike many of the buildings within the town and concluded that it being semi-secluded had helped keep it off the Muratian radar for now. Her eyes felt heavy with the tears she was holding back, hating to be emotional for she was so used to keeping her feelings in but now they threatened to all come bursting out at once. Her face tilting towards the ground for a moment as she forced the tears back and looked back up to Nikolai once more.

She hadn’t realized until now just how much she had been clinging to him even when he wasn’t there. He had been her rock, the one important thing that had spurred her on when she had felt like she could go no more. And now she was looking to him for comfort and she gave him a small smile when he gave her just that. His words and touch soothing her a bit like a cool balm on a burn. Sighing slightly she nodded and said “Yes, hopefully it does.”

As he began to walk towards the front door she gently grabbed his arm saying “No, not the front. It’s always locked. The back is the way we can go in, and we can put Shetan there as well.” A soft smile gracing her face as she anticipated seeing Marlena again after the years she had been in the Guard. When she got closer to the gate, Shetan in tow, she called out softly “Marlena? Marlena you in there?” and slowly opened the gate looking inside only to see Lena sitting on the ground with one of Lyric and Nikolai’s fellow guard members. Smiling at the two Lyric responded to Lena’s greeting with a small laugh saying “Well it looks like you aren’t alone either, what in the world happened?” Lyric said asking her question to Dhiren more than Lena.

[Desperanza]

Nikolai nodded curtly, figuring that Lyric knew more about this place then himself. He was beginning to feel rather grumpy about the fact that he had to be here at all. Someone else lived here already. Where went the days of where he could live in his own home again? He thought to himself. Sighing, he rolled his eyes and frowned as he trailed forward after Lyric silently. He cast a glance to Shetan before turning his gaze once again as he traveled forward. Pausing at the back door, he glanced towards it silently, hesitating as he turned to Shetan instead and began to stroke the stallion's coat silently for a moment. His gaze remained thoughtful, his liquified gaze traveling along the back area of the house before finally turning back towards the door as Lyric wandered inside. Drifting forward, he traveled forward to the back door and stepped inside as well. Pausing, he glanced towards Marlena and Dhiren for a moment. Frowning ever more deeply he folded his arms across his chest and eyed the pair thoughtfully for a moment. Great. Now not only had they wandered into someone else's home, they had wandered right into a love nest as well. He glanced to Lyric briefly and nodded a brief glance to the pair in greeting before he turned and made his way back outside again instead with a small sigh as he drifted forward to watch Shetan thoughtfully again instead.

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[Thea Lestrange]

Dhiren was more than likely making a fool of himself, but he could not help but grin up at Marlena sheepishly as she moved silghtly. He hoped that he was not too heavy for the smaller woman as he was a rather large person himself. "No, you did what anyone with smarts should do, Lena. You were frightened and reacted." That bright grin of his grew a little more, but the pain had yet to completely go away. He chuckled deeply at her next words, knowing she must be too polite to tell him she did not believe herself brave a wit. Dhiren could see it in her though, she was a brave young woman, rather she didn't see it. But he understood her reasoning and left it at that with a very small tilt in his head that indicated a nod.

"I'm sorry, that was rather forward, but the truth." Dhiren felt she was extremely beautiful, but perhaps the bump to his head had knocked out his manners as well. if his mother had been there, Dhiren would have gained himself a good smack in the head for being out of bounds with a young woman. He had been 'taught' better than that. Yet he could not help it, the blush upon her face was worth any uneasiness that they felt from his voiced praise. Lifted up slowly, Dhiren believed he heard horses and looked about them. He still felt dizzy from the hit to the head, but it was not as bad as before. Soon he would be able to sit up better. Listening harder, he was sure that he had heard horses and wondered if he was hallucinating again.

Soon enough he was answered by the sight of Lyric and Nikolai walking up to them, her beautiful black stallion trailing close. Upon seeing them Dhiren tried his best to sit up and winced once he did. A rueful grin made his whole face beam as he chuckled at Lyric's question. "Curiosity nearly killed this cat. I walked up onto her property and she hit me with a pan." Full out laughing, he rose completely off of Lena and felt himself blush her way before turning his attention back to his fellow soldiers. "It's so good to know you're safe."