Love in the Forge

[Sherazade]

Be Careful on thinking nothing... blue bard the fates may just take interest in her then....

For the moment however Sam was still safe and fortunately peacefully asleep. When he snuggled close she would stir though not waken and murmur something undistinguishable

[jacktim]

Sabrion rose very early, and left his love to lay asleep in the cot. He took and laid his armor beside her. Clever Sabrion... the armor was thick with his scent, and being at his measurement, the armor would make a good temporary substitue blue bard. It was not that he did not want to lay with her, but he had a small project near completion, something that must be done. He spent the next few hours pouring his efforts into the forge, working meticulously and quietly with a small hammer. Among the usual forge devices he had, there were a few additional items as well: filigree set, small tongs, a tapered rock, and a small pick and hammer. He finished off his product and left it to cool in an old pine box which he carefully hid in a coin pouch on his person.

From the larder he pulled a small group of fruit, some cheese, and a light wine. He set the bulk of these into a bowl, and set the bowl into a basin of fresh, cold water. The basin accompanied the bard back to his room, where he left it sitting on the night table for his love. He took a small apple from the bunch and walked outside. Today would be a busy day.

[jacktim]

Sabrion said to himself, rushing back to the Dagger this evening... He had a mission. Tucked under one arm was a Cedar box, for which he had snuck back into town, into his very shop to retrieve. He approached the Dagger, and found Sammariah standing outside. He invited her to take a walk in the forest, on a late night like this... it would be hard not to enjoy. Walking along with her, he led them out to their first "spot", a small clearing in the woods where they had had their first kiss, and their first "date". Sabrion set her against the boughs of a sturdy tree, in case she should meet the same fate as Sir Treadwell. He then took a pace back and turned to her.

"Samariah... We have known each other but for a short time... yet despite the time that we have been together... I feel as if there are volumes that we have learned.... And that given no time at all I have come to befriend you, to aid you, and now I have come to love you." his voice fell silent for a moment. "I have fought these past few days to keep you in my life... and to keep you safe from what harms might come to you..." He fell silent again. "I took great care in following through with this, even to the point of asking dear Mister Treadwell for his permission in this instance... I have but one more thing to ask... and only one person left to ask it..." Sabrion lowered down to one knee, bringing out the cedar box, "Samariah... Will you marry me?"

He brought out the box and exposed it's interior, filled with a cotton cloth and seated upon the cloth, encapsulated by the box, was a single gold ring, an emerald set into it's top, and silver filigree set into the stone in the shape of a leaf. Sabrion waited, his heart beating feverishly as he listened for the answer he came there to hear....

http://s140.photobucket.com/albums/r35/jacktim/?action=view¤t=Samariahring.jpg

[Sherazade]

Samariah had known something was up with the way sabrion had fled the dagger without even giving her kiss, that did not fade with his return. The whole way back to their first date spot the place were he had caught her singing, her mind was firing a chaos of questions at her, the noise so loud that she had no idea what the seperate questions were.

It was in silence that she listened to his words, words that cut through the noise of colliding questions. Every word he spoke banished it further and then hewent down on one knee she was awfully glad of the tree at her back for her legs did not want to hod herup. Stunned disbelief wrote itself across her features and a trembling hand reached out towards the ring, but it hesistated... He asked the wrong person i cant say yes, not yet anyway. The words flowed through her mind and now her teeth took hold of her lower lip, she had to find the right words, a way to say it without hurting him and it took awhile, silence stretched into an uncomfortable heavy thing before she finally found the words.

"sweet Sabrion i want nothing more than to say yes you must believe that but i..." She had to choke back the urge to cry this was so hard for her to do. a trembling hand reached out to touch his cheek thumb gently caressing "you need to ask my mothers father, my grandfather then you can ask me again"

see there are still things we dont know about each other my dearest blue bard. that was a thought that flowed through her mind and she sank to her knees before him before speaking audibly once more "i've sent him a letter telling him where i am... i should hear back soon if he is not coming to visit i will write and invite him" A soft smile curved her lips now "itwill give us time to learn more about each other". Please dont hate me her eyes pleaded i do love you....

[jacktim]

from Samariah, hand outstretched to the ring. This hesitation struck the bard smithy like a hammer upon hot iron. He almost faltered waiting for her to speak. He drew in a sharp breath as she became vocal with her thoughts. Another long pause came from the bard, his face tightened in a pensive stare.

It wasn't a 'no', and for that he was thankful. He listened to her voice for a moment, taking in the words she said, and accepting the look that her eyes gave him. It wasn't a 'no'. Sabrion repeated in his head. Her hand upon his face gave him even more of a reassurance.

After she finished speaking Sabrion gave a short pause. He smiled to her, this was a good thing. "Aye, my love. I will ask your mother's father, your grandfather," he said, repeating her words, a cheerful and obedient tone came from him. He then took her hand from his cheek, and kissed it, and then leaned forward to kiss her forehead, "For you, I will do anything."

He seated himself in front of her, sitting Indian style, putting the cedar box in his lap and holding both her hands. "In the meantime... what would you like to know?" He was never a man to leave questioning hearts, and whatever she would ask, he would answer, as truthfully as possible.

[Sherazade]

It had hurt to watch his face as she had given her thoughts a voice, to hear the sharp intake of breath as he braced himself to hear a no that wasnt coming. The pensive stare cut into her heart made it beat faster all thorugh that silence in fact it thundered in her ears and then he finally spoke. The words were like a balm and flooded through her bringing relief the kiss to her hand coloring her skin with the softest shade of pink. Once he was crossed legged, she came off hr knees and folded hers into the lotus position. What do you want to know he asked.... everything was the single word her mnd fired back at her, but that was an unrealistic answer, besides when she finally said yes they'd have years to learn of each other. So what did she want to know most... "tell me about where you grew up, about what broguht you here to myrken, and i will do the same when you are done." Tempting offer wasnt it blue bard, she's offering freely to tell you of her deepest pain, more of what causes her nightmares, of what she consideres her shame. isnt this what you want to know of most? If fate was a voice to give advice it would be saying , take it... go on take the plunge its easy .

[jacktim]

"I was born and raised in a large port town, Marlechant (Mar-le-cahnt)," The blue bard began, "A nice little community only seventy feet or so from the ocean that the port fed off into..." he let his voice trail for a moment, "My mother was a songstress, a bard like I am, and a purveyor of fine arts, and my father was a guildsman, a fighter, and a blacksmith. He also ran a fighting guild in my hometown... and that's what made him really famous..." The bard would trail off again.

Speaking about his father made him uneasy, he tried to choose his words carefully because he did not wish to speak ill of him. "A lot of people thought that it was the pressure I got from my parents' famousity that drove me to wander, when it was really a combination of things that had nothing to do with fame... " He trailed again. "I had always wanted to see more than Marlechant, mother had said it was because I had her 'gypsy spirit'." A slight chuckle would give the bard pause.

The one painful memory he kept was the day his mother died... all so long ago. "She died when I was fourteen... and I was recruited into father's guild after that. He did his best to whip me into shape... but I wouldn't bend. I finally got kicked out a year later, and I ran off adventuring the next day."

He took a small pause to recollect. "After sneaking in and sneaking out of a few guilds around the mainland for close to two years, I finally made my way back to Marlechant... nothing much had changed... and father was as stubborn as ever... So after patching up old hurts... I finally headed back out again... however this time I got lost outside Urst... and old barbarian tribal community and somehow ended up on the outside of Derry." Sabrion could only shrug, "As best I can tell... I'm not even certain I'm on the same world any more." He then looked down at his lap, he wasn't certain how anyone from his hometown was doing... Who was alive, who still remembered him.

[Sherazade]

"Shaelylaer" The elvish word for beloved fell from her lips as silence stole his voice, she had heard had felt the saddness in his words sensed his pain and she had wanted to reach out to heal him of it. Her gifts had begun to rise but she had stopped it let that warm glow flow through her instead and give her the strength to answer him in kind

"The village I was born in was called Molaes Thar... Silver falls" there was a catch in her voice as she translated the elvish words for him and it took her a moment to continue "It was in a hidden valley in the siskaoon mountains" was there now its nothing but a ruin a place haunted by the souls that died so violent a death. the thought flwed across her mind and thickened the grief in her expression.

"My father, Ahren was a wood carver the best our village had" there was real pride in her words beneath the saddness "my mother, Lorelei, a skilled herbalist and healer, i learned both their trades.... though my training was cut short when.... "she trailled off here found herself swamped by the sudden rise of those awful images... of her mother begging for relief from her suffering... her asking for the knife and Sam being the only one left to grant her last wish. "when the drow came and killed everyone " those 7 words came out in soemthing of a rush as if the speed with which they were spoken could lessen the pain.

"I was ten when it happened ... my grandfathers master of the gaurd found me amongst the ruins, it was he who trained me to fight, to track after he took me to live with my grandfather. I stayed there till i was 13 and then i fled began to hunt for those that had taken everything from me " Here she stopped again for next came the tales of things in which she had little pride. "I became a thief ... a very good thief to support my quest for vengance... and i spent the next 4 years hunting down and killing every drow that had been a part of the raid. " an enormous task for one fully grown elven warrior, virtually impossible for someone of sams size and age.

"I felt no shame for my thievery... not until i met Duke Burel.... " A wry smile curved her lips "I climbed the wall into his compound .... i wanted to sneak in and give him some information for which there was a reward only i got caught and confined " fingers raked sunset hued curls away from her face "When he came to see me I told him all i knew and i even told him what i was doing when i saw what i did... he could have locked me up... turned me free without the reward but he did not.... He paid me and let me go....It changed my life. " She owed Burel so much for in that act of kindness he had reminded her of her father... of her Taelys (mentor)...

There was more she could tell him of course she could have told him of the last chase when those remaining drow from the raid had been cut down by kerraks men... when she had stumbled from the forest and been seen running towards the camp... it had almost been her end. but she did not.... could not break her word to never speak of it.

"when the last of the raiders were dead..... i returned to my grandfather tried to be the dutiful grandaughter" she wrinkled her nose "But i couldnt too many of the boys were trying to put their hands and tongues places i didnt want them and i got sick of applogising for using my knees and elbows in defence of myself." She swallowed here had to for a heavy lump of guilt had risen "I packed my things one night after a fight with my grandfater and left without a word or note...." there it was the reason why it was so important he asked her grandfather for her hand... it was her way of showing her grandfater she did considered him family.

Of course as she finished speaking tere were tears trailing in silence down her cheeks but this was not the storm of tears it had been but more of a gentle grieving as if it was easier to speak of such things because she was with him.

[jacktim]

"Shaelylaer", Would bring a smile to Sabrion's face. He knew well what that meant. His parents were well traveled and spoke a variety of languages, some of which they had taught him. You could always tell how they felt depending on what languages they would add words from... elven if they were happy or excited, or dwarven if they were angry... apparently dwarven was a good language to curse in.

Sabrion listened quietly while she spoke, laying a hand softly on her shoulder as she made it to the part where she talked about her parents. It must have been hard for her to continue on at such a young age... and even harder when she had ventured out at an age younger than when Sabrion had lost his own mother. At the end of her story he would wipe away her tears with a soft hand. Sabrion took it upon himself to heal the healer.

He began by changing the subject, "I'm not entirely human you know...", he said admittedly. "I'm part elf, and part nymph as well." He would give a slight pause for a laugh here, "I guess you could call me a mutt." He'd laugh again. Perhaps she'd be amused by his perspective on his own lineage.

[Sherazade]

A faint blush infused sams cheeks she knew he had understood what the words meant and it pleased her, helped to ease the pain of saddness speaking of her parents had brought her.

Eyes flashed with anger suddenly as he called himself a mutt "you are no such thing dont ever say that again" sweet goddess she looked ready to hit him for insulting himself so ... no one was allowed to do that to him..... not even the bluebard himself.

Oh dear that change of subject worked better than you planned didnt it Sabrion.... the fates were probably laughing at him now.

[jacktim]

The blue bard laughed, despite her anger with him. The way Sabrion was he would much rather see her slightly angry at him, than sad about anything at all. He clasped her hands in his, and gave a light kiss to the top of each one. "Come my love, it is growing late... let us go home and rest. These serious discussions can wait for tomorrow." He rose to his feet, still holding her hands, ready to pull her up should she want to stand.

[Sherazade]

Perhaps another time she might have taken the childish route and gone.. You are not. But she didn't his laughter was infectious and she giggled pale blush tainting her skin as he kissed the back of both hands. "you're right they can wait" A soft smile curved her lips and she rose with his assistance. One hand would slip free once she was on her feet and she'd lead him towards the path they took last time "lets go home"

[jacktim]

Sabrion said aloud, remarking at how much light the moon gave, lighting their way home. Another group of questions formed on his mind, would they still live there after? Did she have her own place still? He pushed these questions to the back of his mind, and said a small prayer instead, 'Thank you goddess... for showing us the way.' Sabrion half said the prayer out of thanks for the moonlight, the other half was out worry.

Each new set of questions in his mind only brought up another set after that: Would her grandfather resist his proposal? If so, how diligently? Sabrion would not want to have to fight, but if the situation arose, he would not back down. Would blood be shed? Sabrion hoped not, too much blood was spilt in her life as it was. Would her grandfather hate Sabrion...?

Many of these worries kept passing through the blue bard's mind as they walked home. He walked a bit faster and pulled her close to him, wrapping an arm around her back, a worried look on his face. Would this prove to be the bard's most difficult mission yet?

[Sherazade]

The moon was shining for them on the walk home and Sam was happy. They now knew more about each other.... and she had managed to slow things down alittle without hurting Sabrions feelings. Still even this happy was dented when she began to consider her grandfther may just say no, for she didnt kknow if she would disobey him this time. *not thinking about that* her mind whispered to her and began to turn towards more pleasant things .

Peaceful rest was hers to have for the next two nights, for the dreams did not come to plague her, perhaps this time they were gone forever. The third evening would find Sam slipping into their home in search of him, a briight smile curving her lips she had done it she had swallowed her fear of the memories and seen the doctor about working at the rememdium

"Shaelylaer" She called out and stood poised waiting for a response

[jacktim]

"Shaelylaer" She said. Her 'pet name' for the blue bard. It was a lucky thing that he'd been crossing into the forge when she had called him, else he might not have heard her calling him. "Aye, love... I'm in here at the forge," he called out the hallway to her. He had in his hands a bucket of water and several pieces of iron ore, that he was going to melt down into a sword and shield. Probably for his own collection, few of his customers came through for weapons since the weather started to warm up. Mostly farmers and travelers now. He stepped into the doorway hearing the roar of the fire and set the bucket down, crossing back into the hall.