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Don't You Dare (Silverknight & EvaRose)

EvaRose

Star
Joined
Sep 12, 2013
It had been a long time since the man set eyes upon the elven princess, the green eyed beauty that he was supposed to be married to by now. He was currently looking at a picture that hung on the ceiling of the throne room, a painting of the girl that he lost. It was the painting that was made the day of her fifteenth birthday, when she wore a sleek black dress that could show off her green eyes and a lovely necklace that the old king gave her that morning. He could still remember the gleam in her eyes when she saw what they did for her birthday, the day that her grandfather finally declared that she was a princess and his heir. The princess... his princess...

The elven man growled softly as he fingered a necklace, one found just a week ago by some servant who dared to step into the forgotten room of the princess - it was the same necklace shown in the painting. He tried to smell it, just to see if there was a whiff of the princess' sweet scent left on it. Like all born of elves, her hair was smooth as silk, skin soft to the touch and ears pointed at the tips to let all know that she had elven blood running through her veins. And, unlike the elves that lived in the kingdom she once knew, the princess had skin that was not gray but still pale. At least, that's what he hoped she would look like, that she was not touched by the darkness. He grew sick, tired of the gray skin that each of the females now had. He had the same grey skin, of course, as they did. The elven king had dark eyes and hair and his clothes did not hide his somewhat muscular form. If it wasn't for the things that he did, the king would have been gone by now to search for Vanya himself.

"Princess Vanya," he whispered softly under his breath as he stared up at the picture, "will soon be mine."

The door opened as one of his maid came inside, bowing low to him. "There are people at the castle doors, my liege, waiting for you to assess them."

"Yes, yes, send them in."

That was about two weeks ago...

In another kingdom across sea there was a figure moving about in the darkness of the night, a large one that was about as tall as a horse, if not more so. The shadowy figure was making its way through a town. The streets were brightened only by makeshift streetlights that had nothing more than a candle inside of it. The figure stayed in the shadows instead of going into the light, even as it neared a building and stopped right at the door. "Now," a soft voice whispered, "go sit down somewhere and wait for me to come back out. Remember, don't try chasing anyone or their pets. Just sit." With that, the figure parted into two, one slipping further into the darkness while the other half opened the door of the building. Light spilled out of the building as it stepped inside, revealing its true form: a woman. It was nothing more than a woman.

However, uneasy eyes turned to her, some looking over the woman slowly as she stepped into the building and closed the door behind her. Strangely enough, she was able to ignore the looks that they gave her as she stepped through the tavern. In all truth, she liked the way that people stared at the ebony hilt of her sword, which happened to have a emerald embedded in the end of it. The sheath was fashioned the same way, black with green swirls moving about it. Her clothes were what set her apart from others, especially the women. Her skirt covered half of her thighs, looking a bit torn on the edge of it. The upper half of it covered her chest at least, though her belly and lower back was bare to the world. She wore a pair of black boots, which looked exceptional with the rest of her clothes. 

Even in her clothes, which seemed more proper on a working girl, the woman walked with her head high and green eyes looking forward without any falter to them. The woman stopped at the bar counter and had to sit on one of the stools before the men decided to turn their gazes. A hand rose to run slender fingers through her black hair, parting the locks to show off her sharp tipped ears as she tried to think to herself. Her hair ran down to the middle of her back, brushing against her skin each time her body shifted in the slightest. "Barkeep, I would like a beer and any information you might have on this area," she said, turning her gaze to the man behind the counter.

In all truth, she had been traveling quite a lot. There was something bothering her lately, something to do with the life she left behind. It was odd, but she had a dream just a few weeks ago that freaked her out enough to make her move from where a two lands were about to go to war. She was not against going into a war and fighting for whoever paid most, though she tended to be picky nonetheless. Still. Why did she go out of her way to move out to where the pickings were slim? It didn't even make sense to her.
 
Two weeks before he had been given a mission, a mission that he was told was one that was the most important that he could ever be given in his whole life. He knew that this was not a change for him so much, as all the missions that he had been given in his whole life were important. Ever since he turned 17 and finished a particular mission for the king, none of the missions after that moment were easy, and all of them paid extra well and helped him establish his home into a way that he never thought was possible when he was a young man. They were missions that others could not do, according to his liege, and they were not missions he was paid for directly, but his homeland was taken care of, and he had been taken care of indirectly for doing all these near impossible missions.

Nicholas was a knight of the kingdom, a country knight from a land far from the capital that was a backwater of the kingdom for years. It was not till he started to do this missions that he was given that it was even known at all. Nick was a man who trained out in the wild woods and plains around his home fighting against the bandits who used to call the area home. His complete defeat of these bandits alone at the age of 17 was the moment that he got the attention of other people and the moment that he was given the spot light. Over the next decade he was given missions of all type to work and do what needed to be done to protect his land, to protect the greater kingdom and to earn a reputation that would help advance his homeland, as well.

He had the necklace now as he had been traveling around, the young man walked down the street with the necklace wrapped around his wrist, in such a way, that he would be able to see it, if were to go off randomly doing the day. Nick was a bit taller then normal, he cut the figure of a man who was a knight trained from countless fights and long periods of training as well. He then also had short messy hair that stood out and made him stand out a bit more. The aspect of the young man which stood out the most was the young man's blue eyes, which looked like gems that were place there by some divine creature. He walked down the street, noticing people as he tried to spot this woman, he had been sent to find. He knew she could look like anything, but most likely would have some aspects of her parents looks, but beyond that anything was possible.

He walked into a bar and looked around when he noticed the gem start to react, it was the first time, which mean one thing the woman was near by. That he search, was on the right track, and that he would be able to find her here. He looked around as he said nothing for a moment waiting to catch her with his eyes, finding her around him, as he moved around, seeing a few females in the area, knowing one of them had to be the person, but not sure which of the females in the bar happened to be his target at that moment. Soon though, he would know, he would know where she was finally.
 
The man behind the counter could provide the woman with a little information because there was not much to say about the kingdom. Which meant that there was little honest work to do and that she might have to slit a few throats just to make her coin purse hefty, or add a few more to the saddle of her chosen, and somewhat special, steed. The animal was easy enough to feed, but the woman herself not so much. Meat was easy enough to hunt for but vegetables, fruits and grains were things that farmers grew and that she had to pay for if she wanted to eat it and take care of her body the way she ought to. Not only that, but she was not big on meats other than fish.

With a sigh, the elven woman sat up straight and crossed one leg delicately over the other, showing off her slender legs as she drew the mug of beer closer to her. The runaway princess grew in the last twelve years into a lovely woman who would look twenty for the rest of her life, most likely. The beer had a nice look to it with foam on the top that she probably would not consume no matter how much she tried to. That didn't mean she would not have fun drinking the alcoholic beverage anyway. Vanya was quick to guzzle down the beer, drinking it as fast as any man could if not faster. The show left the barkeep speechless as she slammed the mug down on the counter and demanded another. "You have money to pay for this beer, lady?"

"Of course I do. One minute please." Ducking down, she slipped off a boot just to reach an arm inside and draw out a small coin purse. The boot was soon slipped onto her foot with one hand, while the other tipped the coin purse to drop the coins within before the man. "And enough for a round for each person in here. But, I've no interest in paying for their drinks, so just keep providing me with some and I'll pay you before I leave." Vanya slipped the coins back into the small bag as the man went to get some more beer for her.

As soon as the barkeep was gone, the woman turned around to scan the bar patrons. There were a few women inside, either flirting with men or sitting to the side and observing what could be their prey. They were either bar flies, just like the men, or prostitutes looking for a drunk to take money from without really remember if they slept with a woman or not. Beer could make fools out of good men. As her gaze ran over the people once more, the green orbs fell on a tall and messy haired man. She couldn't help but stare at his head and wonder what his hair would look like if it was combed nicely. Then, just for a few moments, she thought that it would have been better to leave her sword with her pet, but forced the thought back just as fast as it came to her. Before she could even look away, Vanya saw the necklace around his wrist, blinking a few times until her cheeks flushed a bright shade of red and she quickly turned back around as the barkeep placed another mug in front of her. "Thank you very much." She slipped off the stool and to her feet, quickly drinking the beer and paying the man. With that, she tried to slip out of the bar without being noticed, not looking up as she heaed for the door. After twelve years, she still remembered the necklace that her grandfather gave her. There was no way that she could not.
 
Nicholas stood there in the middle of the bar, his eyes scanning, she was close, he could feel it, he looked at each of the girls, none of the fit what he was looking for, something told him that they were not the ones that were It. Yet, his necklace was activating, he wondered what the hell was going on. He knew that this woman could be anything or anyone. Maybe she had fallen so low to be a person who worked here. He doubted it, he figured that her upbringing would prevent such a life for her, and would cause her to avoid such a life naturally out of the desire to do more with her life.

As he stood there, he looked at the bar, and noticed the person hiding, drinking, and smirked. The act of drinking a bear was something that anyone would do, not just a guy. To think it was a male thing to do would be silly. He also couldn't notice that there was an attempt to hide while the person did this. He walked after the person as they made the exit, keeping his eyes upon the prize as it were as he followed the woman out of the bar. He figured if anyone knew or was her, then it would be this person. "Hello, may I have a word with you please?" he asked honestly as he walked up to the young woman after she left the bar, "I think you might be able to help me figure something out."
 
Three clicks of her tongue then the young woman turned around to look at the man behind her with a cold look in her green eyes. "I'm not in the mood to talk to anyone. I have places to go, people to see, I'm a very busy woman." He was a few seconds late, but the beast she rode in on charged at the man, racing between him and the woman. As the beast rushed past, the woman grasped the feathers on his neck, pushing off the ground and letting her body follow the beast's until she could pull herself onto its back to where she usually sat.

The beast was as big as a horse, but muscular and more threatening. It was a gryphon, its front legs and head looked like they belonged on an eagle, it's wings were huge and magnificent as it stretched them. The rest of its body was like a lion and beneath its fur there were muscles that could easily be seen. The creature had colors like a blue jay, showing the way that gryphons could have various colors. The gryphon stared at the man with a look in his eyes that showed intelligence similar to a human's. Slowly, it folded its wings against its body and lowered its head until it was able to stare the man in the eyes.

"Better be quick and tell me what you want, human, Hunin is hungry and impatient." Why even talk to this man? It would be so easy now to steer Hunin away and leave the town before the man could purchase a mount. Maybe it was just the fact that she was a little attracted to the human's appearance. Some time passed since she found herself interested in a human so she couldn't help but want to stick around a little longer, even after seeing that necklace he hsd. It unnerved her, but Vanya thought more and came to the conclusion that the necklace didn't necessarily have to be hers. It could just look exactly alike.
 
This woman meant business, and he was sure was no weak minded woman. He looked at her, something about her made him think that she would be how the missing princess grew up. A strong proud woman who was tough and determined, well that was how he saw the woman in front of himself at least. The gryphon was a impressive animal as well, and he felt such a creature had to be ridden by a noble person at least. He looked at her as she came to a stop in front of him, he partly though she would ignore him and he would have to do his very best to actually case her down across the country following tracks.

"You are a skilled woman, I am guessing your and your friend know this land far better than I do," he said looking at her, as he tried to get a better read of her and her reactions. "If you agree to help me, I will pay you a fair bit. I am on a mission to find the owner of this necklace. I wish to find her as soon as possible. I wish to hire you to help me do that, I can pay well, I am not some normal backwoods man," he said looking at her wondering her reaction. There was a chance she was her, but if she wasn't her, then well, he was sure she could help him find the princess. Either way it was a win-win in his books. If he was able to get her help on his mission. Otherwise he would have to keep trying to track the princess down as best as he could in this backwater land he was in at the moment. "I have a note to give to her, when I find her other then this necklace which is my cover mission," he explained as he looked at her. "Her father ordered me to do this before he died, a long time ago."
 
No matter how calm she tried to be, the woman could not keep a straight face when he spoke of her father. The gryphon felt the extreme change in her mood, shifted and flapped his wings slightly as he moved a step away from the man. The grip she had on his feathers tightened slightly as the beast angrily shook his head this way and that. "That's a lie," she said, looking at the man with narrowed eyes filled with anger and even a little bit of hatred. "The person you're looking for no longer exist so give up on your quest whether it be noble or otherwise." Though she wanted to loosen her grip on the feathers in her hands, the elf's anger kept her from doing that. A gust of wind blew against her and the beast, ruffling his feathers and lifting her hair until the pointed tips of her ears were able to be seen.

"You obviously were not well informed about who it is you are after, which makes you a foolish man for not inquiring about your target before setting out." With a soft tug of its feathers, the gryphon started to turn away. "Farewell human, I hope we do not meet again." One click off her tongue, and the gryphon bounded away, starting with short strides that soon became longer to send it flying across the earth. A good look at the creature's wings showed why it could not fly. Some of the feathers on its wings were down, meaning that it still was not old enough to fly even if it seemed like such a thing was needed at the moment. Hunin, as the woman called the gryphon, moved smoothly acroos the terrain, only slowly down to move out of the way of humans still roaming around outside. They weren't about to leave the town as fast as needed.
 
He looked at the woman as she rode by him, he didn't have his horse, and he was unsure waht she was thinking but her reaction seemed to suggest that she was the one he was looking for. He was a knight who did his duty, and did what he was asked to do. He wasn't one to question things above his pay grade, that was how someone could get themselves killed easily. He knew this well, and he wasn't going to do something stupid. He figured he had time if he was going to track her, that she was already away, he found his horse and saddled his old trusty horse. He had not meet such a strange woman. He wondered what her deal was, but he figured that she was just how she was. He got upon the horse and rode quietly down the road, following the prints of the gryphon. He figured that having such a unique mount would be easy to follow and really ir was.

He rose for a while as he moved along the countryside following the two quietly not pushing himself as he knew that they would have to rest and stop. He hoped to catch up before to long, but he knew he could ride the horse at a comfortable rate for a long time, as long as he didn't rush things. He knew if he did that he would catch them, at least by knight. He knew when they saw him, they would run, they would go away as fast as possible. He actually did see them as they were slowly ahead of him, he rode towards them as he knew she could hear him. "I do not give up on my quest, only a failure gives ups, princess, I know it is you, your so obvious it isn't even funny," he called out, "perhaps I could tell your potential employees in the whole of this region and other region who you are, you know the moment it gets out you will have to run again right?"
 
Of course she heard him coming up behind them. Hunin could only go at that speed for so long when he was so hungry. The gryphon was going at his own leisurely pace now, swiveling his head around every now and again to look back at the horse and man behind them. Once, maybe twice, he screeched at them angrily, showing that he did not want them around though he would not move any faster to get away from them. It was obvious where the gryphon was going (as long as one knew the terrain). It was making its way to one of the longest rivers in the country, one that was sure to have fish that the creature could eat. The beast started to move faster the closer it came to the river until it finally broke into a sprint and raced to the river. The fish were easy enough to spot with their colorful scales, thrilling the gryphon as it stopped at the embankment and stared down into the clear liquid. He wasn't about to move no matter what Vanya did, and she was not about to force him on. As he stopped, the princess slipped off the creatures back and landed softly on the ground.

On her mind was what the man said. The thought of people knowing she was a princess did not phase her. However, it would affect her business. She was a mercenary, if people found out about the life she was born into they might not hire her. The only thing she knew how to do was mercenary work, whether it be killing, assassination or thievery. "Fine, come here and tell me what you want!" She called back at the man. In all truth, she could not understand why he was after her. The last thing she remembered about the kingdom was her mother tell her to leave and never return.
 
Nicholas was surprised to be able to catch up to her, but the place at the river was something that wasn't that surprising he got down from his horse as he heard her statement and walked over towards her and then let his own horse drink from the water as he brushed his mane gently before looking over at her. "now, I want you to do a few things from you which I want," he said looking over as he paused for a moment, "There is much I want to ask you, and two things I wish to give to you, then based on your answers, I will tell you what the big thing is that I want from you, princess," he said calmly as he stopped brushing his the mane of the horse turning to focus upon. "I do not know what name you wish to go by, as you have lived here on your own for years, if I am not mistaken."

He paused for a moment, "Now, princess, why do you want to run every time you see me, do you find the idea of being a princess, of supporting your people and hopefully ruling them wisely with just choices a problem?" he asked as he looked at her. "I am sure that your experiences would make you a far better leader and Queen then you think, you have a common touch, you know common people you can connect with them, but you run from me. I think asking why is a fair thing," he said pausing as he took out the necklace and handed it over, "this is yours, and honestly even if I can't talk you into returning with me you should have it, I am sure the person who gave this to you would wish you to have it and that they would only but wish you the best possible in your life."
 
Vanya looked at him for a moment then looked at the necklace once more before putting it on. It felt good to put the necklace on after so many years of being a mercenary, a person hired to fight for whoever paid the most. Her fingers touched the pendant softly and traced the gem surrounded by leaves before she looked at the man with narrowed eyes. "I do not wish to return because my mother gave me instructions not to, whether I live to be a thousand years old I cannot go back there. You are human though, and would not understand for that reason and the fact that you are a commoner as well. So, thank you for the necklace and good day."

The elven woman stepped closer to Hunin until she brushed his fur softly with her fingers. The gryphon stopped staring at the fish and whirled around suddenly, screeching and flapping its wings threateningly as it moved between the princess and the knight. The beast stopped soon however as it dug its talons into the ground, puffing out its chest as it spread its wings wide in a show of what seemed to be masculinity. "A-away!" The beast looked Nicholas with clear, understanding eyes that belonged to humans and only the most intelligent of beast. It was something lost to most gryphons but, like dragons, they had to ability to learn. "You b-bother mom!" He yelled once more. "Away!" It struggled with the words, showing his inability to form complete words in their tongue yet. However, it was still a young gryphon that had time to learn.

"Stop, Hunin, and eat something." With that, the gryphon calmed down a bit, shooting the knight a glare as it begrudgingly turned back to the river to watch for an easy catch once more. Vanya stayed on the other side of him, able to look at Nicholas easily. "You, human, are not worthy of an answer. This necklace was left in my old home, in the palace that now is home to a king that hasn't a bit of royal blood running through his veins. Who gave you this necklace and why?"
 
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