Victory

[-Roush]

Raghnall's victorious march to Akara would surely be remembered for generations. It seemed that for every lycan that fell, 50 demons would be left in the hero's wake. Raghnall had collected the names of the fallen in a book that was then rushed back to Anur by a messenger. This wolf would announce the victorious arrival of the lycans to the icy bridge of Akara. He would also start the building of a 24' monument of a lycan, with orders that specifically state it is not to resemble Raghnall or any prominent leader of the lycans. The monument would portray a lycan with it's foot on the neck of a demon, and a spear in it's right arm. On the boot crushing the demon's neck, the names of all those who gave their lives would be inscribed.

Raghnall had fought hard himself, showing his new-found abilities in huge explosions of fire. If he hadn't had the respect of his men before, he did now. He had lead the charge in every fight, digging his claws and teeth into demons right alongside his men. By the end of each battle, his fur would be matted with tainted blood. His bedding was also laid by the side of his men, beneath the stars.

But this was his bread and butter, wasn't it? He had always been a warrior, and it showed here.

He hadn't forgot about Zara. He had made sure he saw her every day, and they were at least able to trade winks. He stunk quite a bit and he knew it, so he never really tried to make a move.

Nyoka had also proven herself on the field of battle, and if she ever needed help, Raghnall would be there. Warriors had an unspoken code... She fit in with it. She was well accepted with not just Raghnall, but all the men and woman of the Anur military.

The A'ni had apparently been successful; every demonic unit they came across had no leadership, and was visually scrambling to gather itself. Of course the wolves never let that happen...

Small groups of lycans broke off during the trip to establish outposts, sometimes rebuilding some ruins they came across. Now at Akara, construction had already begun on a large gate that would raise 30' up and span the length of the bridge. Raghnall had walked about halfway across the bridge by himself, though no one knew why...

Now he sat with a small group of men as the sun began to set, and campfires began to spring up. They laughed and told jokes in front of their tents, as a feeling of jubilance spread through the men. Most could hardly believe that had really done it... They would stop and star across the bridge, knowing their lives were about to improve significantly.

[-Davina]

Zara leaned on Star for a moment after she had finished wiping him down for the night. The march had been a mix of emotions for her, sorrow for the lost, joy for those who would make a new life here and... She looked over her shoulder at the camp fires and picked Raghnall's shape out of them all easily enough but the sigh that escaped was a mix of exasperation and a hint of longing. He had been around but had avoided her easily enough with all the chaos that battles large and small brought and it frustrated her slightly. Rolling her shoulders a little she leaned on the large horse and closed her eyes while she re examined for the millionth time when it had happened.

The first fight they hit had been brief, everyone was on a high from the beginning and there had only been a few dozen to contend with and she had relaxed. Her first mistake of the trip, her second had come at the beginning of the next fight. It had felt like an ambush, she had been in the middle of the group where it seemed Raghnall was constantly pushing her and had been chatting with one of the soldiers about his family and the hope he had for the birth of a son in the coming summer.

The small group assigned to "assist" her which she interpreted as protect more than anything else was dispersed through the crowd but she had noted that none were very far from her and each glanced over as though she might disappear. She hadn't been paying attention though no one else had noticed until it was too late. The first wave had surrounded them, the second came from above. Something she hadn't considered. She wasn't a warrior.

She had gone airborne as soon as the attack began, taking a defensive spot and preparing to focus her energy in a more useful manner, namely disabling the demons so that they could be cut down. The airborne demons had surprised her, knocked her off balance and she had damn near tumbled from Stars back when the first demon hit her. Star set down hard, instinctively kicking out at anyone who got too close to him while she wrestled with the monster intent on eating her face.

It would startle her later, how time had slowed, each detail imprinting itself. The heat of the body behind her, the startled scream that Star let out when she kicked back trying desperately to get away. She would never forget that she hadn't used what she had in her, had lost any sense beyond a rapid fear and within a breath she tasted her own death.

There was so much going on, so many pictures that would forever be burned into her mind and then the weight was gone. Star had wheeled around in time to let her see Raghnall and the demon tangle then the demon was in dead and Raghnall stood over the corpse. He had looked at her then, and again for her time froze. He turned at a noise and loped off to join the fray again while someone tried to steady her and Star both.

Affection and lust had disappeared in a rush of love and possession and between the lightheaded tingle of lack of air she was slammed by a vicious wave of emotion. She set it aside and retreated briefly before rejoining the battle as it ended. Since then she had fought to keep a lid on it, and done a far better job of watching her ass when they fought. She was still slightly ashamed that one had gotten the upper hand and thus had been vicious in killing anything that got too close.

She wanted him, in her bed, in her arms and in her life. Turning around she moved forward. She had quit wearing the robes and had borrowed a pair of leather pants from one of the other ladies and the heeled boots doubled as a deadly spike and helped her feel a little more tall. The loose white top allowed her to feel more modest and allowed her to hide a small dagger just in case. She paused at the tree line, uncharacteristically hesitant to approach for fear of offending for the briefest of moments then she moved. She walked over to the fire and nudged the males sitting on Raghnalls left, taking his spot without a word. She was careful to not lean on him but she was staking her claim and it was time he realized it.

[-Chime]

The air was nice tonight as the Dragonkin warrior clasped her hand around the hilt of her sword and leaned up against a tent. It had been a crazy march for them all but a fun one with many demons to slay along the lines. It bugged her a little part way through that all the demons seemed to look so...disorderly when they arrived. She pushed it off though as them just being demons.

Her armor looked clean, she had long ago realized that even the stains of war did not last on this armor, and her appearance was somewhat clean as well. Unlike most the Lycans here should could conjure water up to wash up when she needed too. She slowly pulled her blade out and held it in front of her and inspected it before pulling a small wag out. She gently began to brush the clothe across it to keep it clean while she looked back towards the campfires being set up.

She looked to them all and a small smile crept across her face as she remembered the fights that had went on. She had, somehow, been accepted as an honorary lycan having fought aside them all saving, and being saved, by these people. While they certainly weren't Dragons like her she felt a sense of comradeship with them. It was almost a shame that when they arrived at Akara she would be going about her own journey.

She turned her head away from the gathering and stared into the distance for a bit being quiet as she took care of her blade. Movement on her left cause her to turn towards the motion and she spotted a couple of Lycans waving her over. Running the entire length of her blade with the cloth one last time she turned it on both sides before she stuck it into the hilt and turned towards the group.

While making her way there she swung by Raghnall, noticing that the ever obvious Princess Zara was sitting next to him, she gently placed her hand on his shoulder and looked down at him before flicking her eyes quickly to Zara and then back at him. She didn't need to say a word as the slight twist at the corner of her mouth should have been enough to provide Raghnall with all the information he needed.

Patting him twice on the shoulder she walked off to join the group that had been calling for her to join them. They looked like they were having fun over there so she tried to relax a little alongside them. She felt so strange though...aside from Zara she stood out amongst the other warriors here.

She was glad, now, that she had taken this mission from the Marquis though. Still she wondered how the others would feel about things she knew about but had never seen fit to use. She guessed it didn't matter and probably wouldn't in the future and as she took her seat and began listening to the tales and talk amongst the Lycans she chose to live for the moment rather then the future for that night.

[-Roush]

Raghnall's hand moved over Zara's as she sat beside him. His fondness for her had grown as well, and he was glad that they were about to transition from open fields and tents to human-ran inns. Privacy was something they desperately needed... He desperately needed, anyway.

Even in his human form, Raghnall's fingers made his drow maiden's seem tiny. He interlaced them now, not trying to hide it anymore. Enough time had passed that he felt comfortable demonstrating affection in front of the men; word had spread anyway.

He nodded back to the draconic woman as she patted his shoulder, before turning his attention back to Zara as the men around them started to dissipate.

"Well... Step one is completed, and we made it relatively unscathed."

He looked around, noticing they were fairly alone. He lowered his tone a bit...

"How are you processing it, love? Battle, I mean. It doesn't get much worse then crossing blades with demons as far as battlefield horrors go."

His voice was filled with genuine concern, as he realized the burden that warfare could place upon a soul. He had lived most of his life with a sword in his hand... This was routine for him. It was like going home, almost. He knew that it wasn't right... A man should not feel comfortable taking lives.

[-Davina]

She hadn't realized was holding her breath until his fingers twined into hers and she slowly let it out before she squeezed his. She looked at the fire while she stepped through her response. Raghnall I have lived for more than a century now, I have seen war and death and I've watched an empire rise and fall. What you are doing... What we are doing is the only way it can be done.

She broke off for a second and her gaze flicked down to the hand that swallowed hers, noting absently the callouses and scars that marred it. It made her feel delicate and feminine, that gave her a bit of a jump as she hadn't really thought about his size since the first time they had met.

Your men see you as a hero, you've saved their way of life and shown that you are willing and able to be with them rather than above them.

She shrugged a little bit and finally looked at him I know you're mine.

[-Roush]

He chuckled at her words, though they brought him great comfort.

"Sucram told me once that Marcus always wished he spent more time with his men. I've seen him to be a wise man recently..."

He picked up Zara's hand, kissing the back of it.

"I'll be approaching 27 this year."
He looked over to her and smiled, wondering what her reaction to that would be. He was young, even for a human.

"Eight years since my first battle. Six since I lost my brother. And since I've seen my father..."

His parents. They were still alive, almost undoubtably, living in the Flats. Probably the same village, even. They likely thought Immanuel was dead. In a way, he was. Would they ever believe that he now lead a city of wolves? That he was one himself? Somehow he didn't think his mother had seen that one coming.

He shrugged off the thought and looked back into the fire.

"Times like this make it worth it all, you know."

[-Davina]

She fought for a moment with dignity before the laughter burst out. Good Goddess you've turned me into a cradle robber. I suppose you'll call me an old maid now, I turn a very old one hundred and thirty one years when the summer comes to us. As for family... she paused and went tense as bits flew in and out of her head, what to share here and what to wait for. Reactions she hadn't earlier thought of now mattered and she was afraid of them.

You know of my birthright, I am actually the baby of the family despite the titles I will likely inherent when my mother chooses to step down. I have a twin sister and brother, my sister chose to stay in the old country feeling that she preferred the old ways. My brother was lost with my grandfather during the escape into your world. She had loved both and mourned each for different reasons.

I have another brother her voice went frosty and she straightened her spine as the resentment welled up inside of her along with a healthy dose of rage. Valenar sails the seas, finding his own path to fortune and his own family among strangers rather than staying with me.. With us I mean. The slip hadn't been intentional but she tried to press forward. He comes back from time to time, Star was his bribe for me upon his last visit to the colony. As for mom and dad her voice brightened They live quite happily in the caves and tunnels, content mostly with each other. My mother sends her regaurds and her thanks, by the way, and has said that she is sending us both gifts soon.

She grinned trying to figure out what her mother would send to the male beside her, something odd no doubt. Tell me, love, why did you go to the bridge?

[-Roush]

That was a sensitive question, one he had already dodged a few times. He considered lying to her, but thought that it was not the best move in such a relationship. Trust had to be established by someone; it might as well be him at this point. If she turned out to be some sort of spy, this would probably come back to haunt him, but...

"I set a rune in the center of the bridge, and charged it enough to be self-sustaining. If the Aesir ever try to cross the bridge with a large force that we cannot stop, I will melt the ice, and cut off their land access to Dark World. This is a last-ditch effort, of course. Please do not speak of it, as we are the only two who know what I did."

A whisper carried the information, so that no one could intercept spoken words.

"Well at least your brother has good taste in horses."
Raghnall chuckled a bit.

"I'm looking forward to meeting her one day, and seeing what she plans on sending."

[-Davina]

She nodded How clever. He had forethought and the wisdom to keep it closed off to most. She made a move to shoulder bump him and froze her eyes narrowed as they swung West. Well son of a bitch. Well, it appears that he will be meeting you sooner rather than later... He's somewhere in the dark continent with... A woman. She sighed and realized Raghnall needed the truth now, her brother had picked up on certain traits handed down from their grandfather and Raghnall didn't need to be blindsided but damnit she figured on more time than this.

She sighed heavily and tightened her fingers on his hand. there is something else you should probably know about my bloodline, about the people I came from. My grandmother and grandfather were deeply in love, something most Drow scoff at. My grandmothers line was the oldest in our colony, she was the Matron Mother over all of the other houses until she fell in love with an Angel turned Demon.

My grandfather was a Demon hunter, one who lived and breathed his prey until he became what he loathed. He hid, continuing to hunt his own kind until my grandmother found him injured. My grandmother was a stubborn woman and when she realized who and what he was she took him home, married him and gave birth to my mother. My mother married the weapons master and gave me life. I picked up the fair skin and hair from that part of my grandfather that was still angel and my brother bears some subtle marks of the demon.

She held her breath and waited for the explosion.

[-Roush]

Raghnall glanced sideways at her for a moment. Part demon... How ironic. He didn't really care. He just hated the demons who acted like feral beasts and vicious predators, looking to destroy his civilization.

"Thats an interesting linage. Not bad. Maybe thats where your tenacity comes from."
He chuckled and winked at her, releasing her hand and placing his arm around her waist, pulling her closer.

"Let's not mention that to Sucram for a while."
He chuckled again.

[-Davina]

She snorted and snuggled in closer. Yeah, it's not exactly something I advertise, Grandpa was a wonderful man and if it hadn't been for him I would still be on the other side and still see men as my personal sex toys. She had lowered her voice and shot him a wicked grin. She felt the last bits of tension flow out of her as she turned back to looking at the dancing flames for another moment, enjoying the sounds of men talking in low voices while horses made muted sounds.

What is next? The future so often depended on her words lately that it was nice to know someone else felt the burden and made decisions. Maybe that was why she was drawn to him, he understood the stress of the titles and the pressure that accompanied them. And what does Sucram have to do with my lineage?

[-Roush]

"Nothing, nevermind."
He laughed it off, starting to play with the fire from a distance, using his alchemy.

"We cross the bridge and start making our way to the city. The rest of the men start back and start construction on the gate and the various outposts along the road. To be honest I'm looking forward to getting into human territory... We'll be staying in inns..."

His voice changed to a mischievous tone mid sentence.

"More privacy and whatnot."

He pulled against her gently, chuckling quietly.

[-Davina]

Matching his tone she poked him in the side and wrinkled her nose More baths as well. I think, My Lord, that you do in fact reek a bit. You are very luck that I like you so much otherwise I would be miles off trying not to get downwind of you! She snickered but proved that she could care less about smells and leaned, absorbing the warmth of his body.

Besides, you make a far better bed than the ground. She looked over the camp and at the dark woods around them to the bridge. It seemed so long ago that she had started out on her journey to Anur with only a vague hope of peace. It had been Anur that had brought peace to her, funny how fate made herself known. Her shoulders relaxed and she let the worries about the future float in the far back of her mind while she watched the flames play with each other in the absent patterns that Raghnall created. Do you miss the life you had before you were changed? The life you would have had I suppose?

[-Roush]

"It's difficult to get all the blood out of my coat."
Raghnall winked back at his woman, loving the banner.

His demeanor shifted after she brought up his previous life... He stared into the fire almost vacantly. It began to spin, slow at first. Then faster, and faster, until it grew to a little over 6 feet tall. The flames shifted quickly, becoming very human until the image of a man who looked much like Raghnall stood before the couple.

"Ishmael... I tried to go home after the battle that I lost my brother in. We were... very close. I saw his shadow in every part of out little city. We had done everything together. There was literally nowhere that I could lay my head or spend my days that did not have a multitude of memories attached to it."

He shifted his position, and swallowed hard.

"Getting bitten was the best thing that ever happened to me. Anur gave me focus. Gave me a reason to live my life. I don't think I would have made it back home..."
He tightened his grip on Zara, bending down to kiss her cheek softly.

"Everything happens for a reason."

[-Davina]

There was little she could say or do to ease the sting that came with loss, the burn that it left in his breast was his to keep or allow to mellow with time but she gave the only words she could offer. He lives on, it is our way to believe that the Goddess grants the greatest warriors a second life within our families. My mother is the high priestess in our family and she claims that the Goddess herself promises that if you wish to see a loved ones soul again you have only to name a child for them. I don't know if it's true, the ones I lost I wasn't as close to but... She trailed off and frowned at the fire while she collected her thoughts

Even if that isn't true he lives every time you speak of him. Every time his name is mentioned his memory is refreshed and if the memory lives one cannot die. So, my advice which wasn't asked for is this. Name your son after your brother and when the winter winds howl and you sit with you children by the fire tell them of the brave man your brother was.

[-Roush]

The flames dispersed, as Zara's words comforted Raghnall more then she knew.

"I'm glad that your in my life. I really am."
Another kiss; softer, longer.

"I suppose we'll need to move on soon. I'm sure the Marquis is expecting us. The scouts will go on ahead and return to us while we are still a few miles out of the city. We should really get some rest... I want to make some good time tomorrow."

Raghnall didn't really know what else to say on the matter... He was getting tired. He needed to sleep.


((Blah. Trying to wrap it up, gotta get over to Siege.))