Learning from a master (Cheshire x Tema)

It was hard to remain mature about this; she was only naked because it'd make teaching easier. However, Vallios couldn't help but lick his lips when her back was turned. He found himself somewhat enthralled by the delicious sway of her hips and found himself barely able to maintain his self control. In an amazing display of will Vallios managed to stand and strip, keeping himself relaxed as he moved to meet her in the water. Vallios moved easily over to her, stopping barely behind her. When he spoke, his voice held the slightest, ever so slightest hint of strain in it.


Though, Vallios was definitely giving off a lingering aura of both interest and restrain. The tension between the two was quickly amplifying. Fortunately Vallios could focus on the task at hand, so he gave his first instruction. It was a simple one, a test of Serefina's nerve. He'd need to see if she could at least keep herself afloat in the frigid water to gauge how much he needed to teach. He'd move as she did, prepared to pull her back to safety if she panicked.

"Walk until you cannot keep your head above the water by just standing, then try and stay afloat. I'll be behind you if you need assistance."

"Float?"

She thought about it for a moment, and then went ahead, following his directions. It wasn't too hard, for a bit all she had to do is walk till she couldn't. The hardest part was getting her body to move despite the cold. But as she walked, she found that she was warming up, if ever so slightly, which made it easier to push through until her braid at least was floating in the water. But even it was sinking as it took on the weight of the water soaking it as well.

She shivered as she felt something scaly, but did not startle. So cold. It seemed to penetrate her body till she couldn't think, but she was trying to think about his words. Float. It was a word her mother used to describe how a lady should walk. Serefina mastered it by relaxing her entire body except her core which she wound tightly. It was better than nothing. So she simply did that again, not dropping her weight, but keeping it lifted.

-splash-

Her face went under but then she bobbed up. Her arms began to swing back and forth, and Serefina found herself brniging them towards her body, and then back out again, as if to grab onto something as she kept from 'floating' away, but it was actually more akin to a modified breasts stroke with her upright instead of floating properly.

"Good. Now, bring your legs up and push your face down, work your feet back and forth, kicking beneath the water with your entire leg, let the movement start from your upper thigh and extend down. Remember, you aren't moving yourself, you're moving the water. When you feel comfortable with that, reach out in front of your head, then bring your arms out in a slow but purposeful arc, all the way down to your sides, then bring them back up and repeat. Only bring your head up above the water when you need air, you'll find it's less strain on your neck and more natural."



Bobbing was one thing, but submerging one's self was something totally different. Vallios continued treading water, waiting to intervene should Serefina need help. Vallios couldn't help but allow himself to admire her body as she worked on swimming along. Interaction with her was so much easier away from the keep; where he could be Vallios, and just Vallios rather than the Weapons Master. This rare moment was one he'd savor for years to come. Vallios surged forward and began to move along side Serefina, keeping pace with her to keep her confidence reinforced.


This was the kind of thing that would truly build their trust. Vallios kept his eyes watchfully on Serefina, paying attention for any signs of distress. If she did end up needing rescue, it'd be swift and efficient, though Vallios figured that Serefina was old enough to keep her head in a simple stream. After all, swimming really wasn't that hard.

Another delighted laugh, he was getting all sorts of treats this night, wasn't he? She let her head lift, as well as her feet, kicking them to get them out from under her the way she wanted them. Unfortunately, for her, at that moment, a fish swam by startling her from her concentration and she only had a chance to cry out before

-splash glubglub-

And the panic set in, she wasn't sure which way was up, as she fell to the bottom, twisting and turning in the water. It was still a very new skill after all.

For a moment as they resurfaced Serefina could see nothing, which panicked her even more until she realized it was simply her hair obscuring her view. Once that panic was gone, and she could touch the ground again, she calmed dramatically.

"Ohh..." She huffed, trying to get her breath back. "I'm okay... I'm okay." But whether it was for his confirmation or her own was up for debate. "B..but can we wait till light to do this again..." Well, she wasn't afraid of trying again. As her heart beat settled down, she became aware of two things. She was really cold. And that her backside was warm. So in an effort to even things out, and if Vallios would let her, she'd simply turn around and cling to his warmth. After all, it wasn't often she was without clothing, so the thought hadn't even ocurred to her yet.

"Warm.." She shivered, as she pressed her nose into his chest, just trying to soak up as much warmth as she could.

She hadn't been expecting the kiss, and so it was a good thing that Vallios had his arm wrapped around her or she might have fallen back into the stream. Her lips this time were not so stiff, but moved under his, answering them. Shy, tentative, they were also curious, much like the person possessing the body they belonged to. But eventually, Serefina's unaccomstomed body would give into the cold it was fending off, and she pulled back.

"Shore...clothing..."She shivered, her nails biting into his back from the tension. "Fire..." after all, she wasn't raised to be used to these kinds of temperatures.

"Of course."

Vallios picked her up and carried her back to the shore, not trusting her to keep her balance. He'd forgotten that she wasn't quite as acclimated as he was to the frigid touch of winter. And so, Vallios set her down by the fire and then settled in behind her, giving her the option to lay back against him as they dried. If she tried to dress until fully, he'd stop her and shake his head. Wet clothing was what killed, even when near the warmth of a fire. Cold permeated the skin, but it was so much worse when fabric got involved, trapping the cold against one's flesh.

"There is so much I could teach you about survival. So many little tricks to keep you alive that most are utterly oblivious to."

Vallios retrieved the cuts of fish, handing one of the small spits to Serefina. She'd find that the wood was warm and pleasant to hold, the fish perfectly cooked and completely boneless. Vallios began to eat without another word, enjoying the unseasoned natural flavor. He'd missed his own cooking, simple yet so satisfying. Civilization had a horrible habit of spicing and seasoning food into oblivion, completely masking the real virtue of taste.

She shivered from time to time, but she remained with him, and didn't attempt to get her clothing after his comment. But when he made the comment about survival, she smirked at him. A full blown sarcastic smirk. He was starting to get some actual range of emotion from her besides contempt and anger. What an improvement. "Well, my survival is your job description, now isn't it?"

But then came the fish, unlike anything she'd known. Sure she'd had fish before, but the aroma. "Oh, goddess, this smells wonderful!" Not even bothering to look for a knife, she scooped small pieces of it into her mouth. "This is amazing...what did you do?" She had no idea that fish could taste like this. The fish she'd always had was so dry, and there was that burned aftertaste that they said was the spices to make it palatable.

"Cooked fish how it should be done. My people rarely use spices on our dishes. Fire and practice is all you need to prepare a feast."

Finally it looked as if the two were actually getting along! Perhaps Serefina was starting to see that Vallios truly did have talents outside of combat. Perhaps she'd see that he actually was human; not just a pair of hands that could work with weapons. Vallios had a small smirk of his own, glad to see that she enjoyed his style of cooking. Many people were far too accustomed to the masked tastes and unnecessary additions of "civilized" cooking methods.

There was a lot that the wild world could teach civilization, if only it'd open it's eyes long enough to look for the knowledge. Those who knew of Vallios' people had only ever seen them in combat, and only knew them as unstoppable, remorseless berserkers who would indiscriminately rampage and ransack an entire town in the dead of night.

But, the reality was that his people only attacked those cities which began to infringe upon their territory; Or those settlements who had wealth, but refused to barter. It was not wise to send an exploratory force into the northern wilds, such movement was swiftly noticed and dealt with by the watchful Assembly of Tribes.

"It's amazing..." She finished her fish and then looked at Vallios' very strongly. She'd never been a big eater before, but ate what she needed to in order to have the energy she needed. At the moment though, she felt like she could eat everything clear. When she thought he might not be looking, she darted her hand out and tried to grab a piece.

Vallios noticed her movement in her peripheral, and decided to pull a sly move. With a quick movement he reached out to the side, putting the fish out of her reach. If all went as planned, Serefina would topple over in an attempt to get the fish that had seemed to move away through sheer dumb luck on Vallios part. If all went well, he'd peer down at her and stick his tongue out at her, holding the fish above her head. Childish yes, but still amusing. After all, there was nothing wrong with a little harmless fun, was there?

Once Vallios had his fun he tore the remaining fish, his portion in half and set it in Serefina's hand, then quickly finished his own before she could make another attempt at obtaining the rest of the meal. Vallios had developed a talent for suppressing his appetite, and being comfortable on the bare minimum amount of food his body needed to continue...Though, he was definitely capable of eating his own, and another person's share if there was enough servings. However, he mainly kept his meals small, only eating large amounts during a feast, or other occasion.

"Thank you." He said, not saying anything about her failed attempt to steal his meal.

She did indeed topple forward, eating dirt as it were. Turning around, she gave him an almost full frontal view of her framed by the firelight as she did yet another thing she wasn't apt to do. She stuck her tongue right back out at him. And then gasped, quickly shifting for her hands to cover her mouth, it was beyond rude and childish to something like that, especially if you were in the wrong in the first place. And she was, since she was the thief.

Grumbling, she sat up, the flames flickering against her hair, making it seem like tendrils of silver dancing in the moonlight as they cooled. Her muscles were sore, and without another thought, she began to stretch them, the moonlight and the firelight dancing colors along her body while she moved to keep from having them stiffen. Her eyes closed, she savored the sensation of her muscles tightening and loosening. But once she glanced that he'd been kind enough to give part of his portion to it, she went right back to it.

"Thank you."

Vallios reached out and retrieved his cloak, sitting up enough to settle it about his own shoulders, then down over her. When it wasn't fastened it easily had enough room to cover them both, allowing them to enjoy the warmth of the fire, and a pair of sated stomachs. In another daring move Vallios curled his arms around Serefina and pulled her close, wrapping his arms gently around her. Between the cloak and the fire, there was more than enough heat to keep them both comfortable. Vallios let his eyes wander skyward as he spoke.

"It's a beautiful night. 'tis rare to see stars in late December."

The two were lucky that it was the short thaw before winter struck the land in force. If it were even a week later in the year, snow would be up to their knees, and an outing such as this would not be possible. Maybe, now that they'd eased relations between each other so much Serefina would actually start talking. Both of them in constant silence would yield no fruits, two listeners were as futile as two chatter boxes. One had to talk, and the other listen...Otherwise it was meaningless.

The excitement of the day, combined with the new experiences of swimming and running around in the cold were wearing on a person. Especially if that person was a young lady, no matter her normal pattern of stamina. As it was, Serefina found herself fighting off the sleep that threatened to overwhelm her. Once Vallios retrieved his cloak and wrapped it around the both of them, she found it was too much. She leaned her head against his bicep and continued watching the fire until she drifted off to sleep, not even thinking about their state of being or how improper it was.

As most females are naturally inclined to do, when Serefina did manage to feel any of the cold, she simply curled into anything near that her body could recognize as heat. In this case, Vallios. A small shiver, and then she reached for her blanket, only to find Vallios' arm, which then got promptly brought over her body to be used as a cover, such as it was. And so she'd pass the time until the dawn broke. Unlike most ladies, Serefina was used to being up at the crack of dawn, so as the light peeked through the trees, Serefina sat up and stretched, her body arching with the motion in a way that reflected how naturally she moved, graceful much like a well fed lioness. She should have been sleepy, but she was the type to be naturally awake the moment she decided to awake. As such, she didn't startle at the idea of Vallios being there as much as a normal well bred lady would. In fact, she turned and gave him a small smile. But that smile had a price.

She looked up at him, and though she claimed not to know any womanly wiles, that hopeful look within those luminous violet eyes said it all.

"Food?"

He would have possibly been surprised at how un-squeamish Serefina was. But the courtesy would have been appreciated had she realized. As such, she simply watched him, after having gotten dressed while he was out hunting the deer. The more she thought about it, the more something puzzled her.

"Why do you do it? I mean, you're marrying a woman you don't know, because of a position you didn't ask for, and will end up spending the rest of your life in service to it. Your children will possibly not even be able to appreciate their own heritage and you seem to proud to let that happen. What do you get out of all of this."

"A debt of honor. It's not as if I have family, people, or a home outside of Ahn'kir. "


As for his children; their children, that was something Vallios was not thinking of. However, he was confident that he'd be able to instill some pride in his offspring. He'd make sure that they knew the true story of his father's people. They'd be taught the most important lessons that all Bere'nohl children learned. They'd learn of the sanctity of the hunt, how to worship the goddess, and how truly valuable honor was. He knew that no matter what gifts the mixture of his own and Serefina's blood gave their children that they'd have the hearts of warriors. And that, that was enough for him.


Patiently he waited for her response, wondering what she'd say. How did she feel about their destiny? Was there somebody who she'd prefer in his stead? If there was, he expected that man to eventually step up and challenge Vallios for his position on the field of honor. Vallios would meet, and overcome any such challenge.

"A debt of honor..."

Her voice trailed off as she absorbed that information. She was practical, she understood that it was a marriage of necessity. She wasn't sure what she was expecting from his answer, but she found his actual answer somewhat...disappointing. "I suppose there are worse reasons to marry." She bent her head to brace against the top of her knees.

~~~"I love you, Serefina. Why won't you marry me?"

"Because my Mother has asked me to take up the mantle of Ruling Mother. I have to marry the Weapon Master." ~~~

Even in her memories, she knew that it was a matter of honor for her as well. But she wondered if Vallios felt any real desire for her. Her sisters had always told her she was too slim to be attractive. That her muscles were too well developed, that she wasn't soft enough. Even every fortnight, when she dealt with yet another proposal from Anastazi, she was grateful to have at least one male who was attracted to who she was, not some portrait she painted for them to see.

But her sisters had explained it easily. A man can and will bed anything he can get between the legs of. It would not matter if she was attractive. Her platinum hair? It made her look like an old woman, according to them. Her sparkling violet eyes? She looked like a creature from the aether. But she looked like her mother facially, and she knew that both of her parents had a healthy love life and her mother took no other lovers. It was with fondness that she overheard her mother talking of her father, and the little escapades they'd plan. Meticulous planning went into any formal meeting with the two, as they were prone to 'disappearing' and coming back dishabille. The trips where he'd left had been horrible on her, so she knew that theirs was a love match. In truth, Serefina wanted that as well but it seemed unlikely that a city bred lady such as herself could be attractive to a wilderness born warrior such as Vallios, despite their common interests.

"Is there anything besides fulfilling that debt of honor that you will gain from this?"

"Hmm...Let me think for a moment."
With a sly smirk Vallios stood and moved behind her, curling his arms around her and pulling her close. He pressed his lips to her ear and gave a low whisper, answering her question in the manner he thought most appropriate. Vallios did find Serefina quite attractive; He appreciated the duality of her figure. Slender and feminine, yet with toned and developed muscles. Truly, he had no desire to live with some wallflower, he wanted a mate who could hold her own, a lioness.

"You..." He purred.

How would she react to that answer? Surely that was something quite unexpected. But, Vallios was full of many surprises, some of them possibly even romantic. Vallios did not know of Anastazi or his desires, though he would most certainly not approve of his continual attempts at wooing Serefina. It'd be best if Serefina made a point to introduce him, rather than allow Vallios to just stumble into the man and learn of who he was and what his connections were on his own.

A jolt and both of them missed nearly having their heads knocked together as Serefina startled. It was hard to startle her, but he'd managed it. Her brow knitted, she looked at him with puzzled eyes.

"Me? That makes no sense," she spoke before she thought and tried to retract her words. "I'm not even sure I can bare children due to my build and lifestyle." That was the only thing that worked for her. She knew that some of the Twelve Tribes considered violet eyes a sign of the blessing of the goddess. That had come down in the family histories. Another Ruling Mother had married into them a long time ago as well. But that Ruling Mother had ended up bearing ten children, nine of which survived to adulthood. Even her mother had her concerns about Serefina's ability to bear children with her size and muscle build. Her mother had been plumper, where Serefina got her Father's natural muscle tone.

"I don't understand..."

"Beautiful and talented, someone who I can be proud to fight for. How could I not consider you reward enough?"

Such open compliments as that were generally not Vallios' style, and so he released her and moved to the fire, kneeling down to tend to the meal. Was that, even the slightest hint of embarassment on Vallios' face at the statement? No, barbarians didn't blush. However, he was doing his best to keep his face obscured by that raven mane, his eyes focused intently on the fire rather than on Serefina. Damned woman, able to knell out some of his deepest thoughts so effortlessly!

Vallios poked at the fire with a stick, trying to adjust it to get heat to address the meal more evenly. Did Serefina truly not understand that she was quite a prize to the eyes? That was a concept rather foreign to Vallios; how could she not appreciate those rare qualities she possessed? Especially those pools of violet, blessings from the goddess herself! Vallios shook his head slightly and chuckled, trying to get his usual reserved face and demeanor back.