A Bride For A Barbarian

Aurora seemed to grimace a bit at the idea of being stuck inside for a day, not that she cared all that much about the storm. It was more about the company she had to keep. The women were fine, all had been kind to her, though a little teasing when to the women who carried weapons like them men. Either way, none had treated her badly or anything. It was the men she was slightly edgy about. Kesher had left her jumpy to say the least, mostly because that she had barely made it out of there. She feared what would happen if the situation had been in his favor, or if he had been even stronger than he already was. And with more flirtatious and younger men about the fort...It would only be a matter of time before something like that possible happened again. Though, certainly they'd have manners yes? They may have lacked table manners but they seemed to treat women with respect...sort of.

She was brought out of her thoughts by his command to hang up his fur and her cloak, nodding her head slightly before doing as told. They needed to hang as well, for even with the double layers they were both very soaked, it was a miracle she wasn't soaking wet herself! For a moment, Aurora hovered near the door, shaking out her cloak a bit before taking off her shoes. They were not build for such snow and were also soaked as well, giving her no choice by to abandon them at the door as well, though near her cloak so at leas the mess of water would not be spread out too much. Garik's next command made her stutter though.

"M-my tunic?" She said slowly, looking down to realize just how messy it was.

The stable had done a good bit but it was the now that worsened it, turning the dusty dirt that had once been on her skirt into muck and mud. Though the idea of stripping in a public place was not desirable, she didn't have much of a choice. The mess she would make was not worth keeping her tunic on, as she'd only dirty her other tunic in the process of cleaning up the mess. So, doing as told, and blushing like mad, she removed her dirty tunic, her under dress the last thing to keep her decent. And thankfully it was not dirty or wet.
 
Garik made no effort to hide his gaze, instead openly staring directly at Aurora while she removed her tunic. The under dress was clean and dry but it didn't really matter. He could see her curves under the drapping, thin material. Smirking, the barbarian brought a hand up to stroke the stubble on his jaw, his eyes shamelessly tracing the curve of her breasts until the dress drew away, overflowing straight down. The back hung just the same, interupted only by her rear. "You really are a lanky woman, aren't you?" he teased, his gaze moving back up to her face.

He held her there with just his stare alone, his eyes betraying thoughts of a steamy hot bath, shared. Garik knew he could easily break her of that innocent nature, of her quiet demeanor. But then she would be just another one of the women here, she would lose what made her unique, what held his interest much to his annoyance. Still, being too innocent was putting herself in danger...

Yes, he would have to teach her that lesson now.

Dropping the hand from his face to the chair's arm rest, Garik gestured with a simple twitch of two fingers for her to approach him.
 
Blushing at his comment, Aurora folded up her dirty tunic and set it to the side were it would not make any mess. She found herself locked in his gaze as she did this, uncertain as to what his eyes were saying. She was the one to break the look though, mostly because she could not handle it completely. It was so intense for one reason or anther and now she felt terribly uncertain. Glancing back at him again, she caught the twitching of his fingers and moved over to him slowly.

She was shy with her steps, her tunic left near her dirty shoes. She wasn't certain what he would be doing but for some reason or another she just didn't feel right about getting so close. Maybe she was still jumpy from the experience in the stables with that scrubby old man. Either way, she feared disobeying him more than anything else so she moved over to him and paused just a few feet away from him, waiting to see what would happen.

"Y-yes?" SHe asked softly, obviously uncertain if she should be speaking at all.
 
Maybe it was too soon to punish her like this; the incident with Kesher was still weighing heavily in her mind, that much was clear. But Garik had already made up his mind, and the sooner Aurora was taught, the better. For a moment, the barbarian's gaze passed right through the girl as he withdrew into himself, wondering why he cared enough about this damn women to take the time to protect her.

All his life, there had only been two types of women: the kind that did nothing but annoy and nag and at times put a man in his place, the other kind were useful for satifying a man's needs. Aurora fell into neither catagory. Yes, she annoyed the hell out of Garik but not nearly in the same way as Evyin or Thaya did.

A submissive little innocent lamb. That's what Aurora was - a lamb in a den of wolves. She'd be eaten the moment Garik took his eyes off her. His gaze narrowed as he stared at nothing, annoyed that his heart had skipped a beat at the thought of another man putting his hands on that damn girl.

She was still keeping her distance from him, either a wise decision or simply on instinct. Did she fear that earlier event repeating itself? That fear was properly placed. "Closer, you silly woman," the barbarian grumbled. He pointed to the patch of floor just in front of his feet and ordered, "Stand there." When his command was obeyed, his expression lightened up a little, even enough for a ghost of a smile. "Are you afraid of me, girl?" he inquired, the smile quickly twisting into a cocky little smirk.
 
Garik' stare was intense for one reason or another, though she personally could not figure out why. It felt like he was trying to stare into her soul and then planned to grab it without her permission, something that she'd rather not have happened at all. She was looking at the ground when he told her to move closer, finding his eyes a little to much for her at the moment, they were just to strong for her little heart. Glancing up at him, she noticed him point at the spot on the floor right in front of him, making her blush a little at the idea of being that close.

However, she was more worried about getting in trouble then what he exactly had planned for her being so near and she did as told, though hesitantly as she seemed to not have much trust for men at the moment. As she stood there, she noticed a tiny smile spread over his face, but it was barely there as he seemed to ask her if she feared him. Well, the answer was obvious to her but apparently not to him. He was a giant compared to her short and thin frame, if he wanted to he could easily snap her in half without a second thought about it. Nodding her head lightly, she looked down at the floor. She was a person who spoke the truth even if it was risky.

"Y-Y-Yes....I am" She mumbled softly.
 
"You're afraid of him too, aren't you?" The 'him' in that accusing little statement was quite obvious. "You're too soft," he scolded, reaching out and snatching Aurora by the wrist. "Like uncooked dough. Easily pushed in any direction."

Slowly Garik tugged her closer, using her arm like a rope, hands passing over each other as he reeled his 'catch' in. "You don't like what I'm doing? Then show it." One strong arm swept around behind her and locked her tightly against his tough frame.

The under dress she wore was not enough to hide the feeling of her...curves from him. His chest was bare and there was but a thin bit of fabric wedged between them. However, the hand that had previously held her arm was now making friends with her rear with a bold squeeze, regardless of the material hindering its enjoyment.

He would not stop until she showed her teeth. He could not. Only then would he feel confident to leave her wander away from his watch again.
 
Aurora was blushing lightly as he spoke, nodding her head when he asked if she feared 'him'. Of course she did! He nearly took her in the stables! That would be enough to make any girl nervous around a man. She let out a small gasp though as he grabbed onto her wrist and held onto it tightly, making her looking up at him with a worried gaze. He only dragged her closer, pressing her body into his as he told her to fight back. Was he insane? How could she fight back against him?!

She tried to squirm away but it didn't work out very well, in fact it only got worse as he put his hand firmly on her bottom and squeezed it firmly. Letting out a weak squeal she tried to push away from him, her hands on his chest as she shoved weakly. Whatever he was trying to pull she did not know, what she did know was that she was not winning this battle and her lack of clothing only made it worse.

"S-stop, please!" She begged weakly as she gave another shove.
 
Her struggle was almost embarrassing. Of course Garik didn't expect her to overpower him, or even come close to holding her own against him. What he wanted wasn't a display of strength but voice.

"This struggle of yours is pathetic," he growled softly in her ear, lips brushing the skin there tenderly, despite his obvious brutish nature. "You can't be polite at a time like this, woman. I'll just think you're flirting with me."

With his hand sliding under her bottom, he easily lifted Aurora off her feet, took three great strides, and dropped her maybe just a little roughly against the table. There, one big strong hand spun her around so that she faced the table with her back to him, the other grabbing a fistful of hair and forcing her head down to the table top.

His actions were swift and mean, but he took great care not to harm her beyond reason. He did not yank on her hair, he did not squeeze to the point of bruising. He was not in the business of physically harming this woman, only teaching her the lesson.

"Where is your bite, Aurora?" he hissed as he held her captive against the table. "Or do you truly like what I'm doing to you?" A little nudge of his groin up against her rear. "Will you be this compliant with the rest of the wolves here?"
 
Her cheeks only darkened as he brushed his lips against her ear. His words made her nervous and the way he held her did not help. She had no idea what was going on and what he was trying to prove by putting her through all of this. She was frightened out of her wits and her heart was beating a mile a minute, it also did not help that he grabbed her rear and lifted her into the air before placing her roughly on the table.

She was so frightened, she could barely think let alone take in what he was saying to her. Nothing was coming together in her mind and all she really wanted to do was run, and he wasn't going to let that to happen. She let out a small cry as he flipped her over and grabbed a fist full of her hair, tears staining her cheeks as he held her head in place. There was no way she would be able to lift it up on her own.

The nudge of his groin into her only made her heart race more and her voice crack as she let out another weak cry, a small sob slipping out as she breathed raggedly, almost as if she was having trouble doing so.

"Stop! Please...I'm begging you! S-stop!" She cried.
 
Garik had to admit that this was the first time tears had swayed his heart. An uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his belly threatened to thwart him, to break his determination to have her toughen up.

No. She needed to learn this.

And his decision renewed its strength the moment her plea reached his ears. "No!" he roared, slamming a fist down onto the table top just a hair's breadth away from her face. "Do not ask! Tell! Requests like this will never be taken seriously here! You have to put a man in his place with your words, understand? Now tell me!"

He slammed his fist down on the table a second time, so hard that the dishes that had been layed out for the evening meal rattled and a goblet toppled to the floor. Grabbing her by the shoulders, the barbarian spun Aurora back around to face him. "Speak, you idiot woman!"

How she frustrated him...
 
A shriek slipped from her the moment his hand slammed into the table, followed by a small bit of sobs. She was a wreak, frightened beyond belief and shaking like a soaked kitten. Her mind was hazy and she still had no idea what he was treating her in this manner, only an hour ago he was kind and gentle, showing her how to work the fires in the forge. Now...Now she just didn't know anymore.

His words were useless, he could tell her to do this all he wanted but she did not have the heart for it. Her mind was blank with fear and only another scream slipped out as he slammed down it hand once more. If this continued on she wasn't sure if he'd start hitting her of if her heart would give out just before that. As he spun her around though, he would find something he had only seen on the battle field.

Absolute fear.

This was not the kind of fear from ghost stories or the kind you got when someone startled you accidentally. This was the kind when someone was seeing their life flash before their eyes, the kind where they truly believe that this was the end. Though Aurora was not certain if that was his intention, she knew that her heart felt it. She was in danger and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Even now, her voice was gone, only the wide and frightened gaze of a small child greeting him.
 
Blinded by anger and frustration, Garik almost missed the look on Aurora's face. But when he caught it, his heart lept into his throat. Far too familiar, though he'd only twice before felt regret at being the cause of such a look and twice before, the person standing at the end of his blade had been far too young to fight.

And now Aurora was giving him the very same look, but it affected him so powerfully that all of his anger and frustration melted away, a crashing wave of cold snuffing out the fire. His expression softened at once, his brow furrowing not in rage but with self loathing.

"Aurora..." he muttered, lowering his gaze a moment. "I took this too far." His tough male ego wanted to walk away grumbling but how could he possibly leave her in this state? He'd never seen a woman cry so much. Gently he pulled her against him again, although this time it was not a crude embrace but rather a comforting one. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly, a hand cradling the back of her head, fingertips nuzzling deep into her hair to caress the scalp beneath.

"I am sorry. I had no intention of... I only wanted to toughen you up. The others, they..." What was the point? She wouldn't understand. Maybe she just couldn't. Something else would have to be done. He would think on it and hope for a solution before this weak little woman was truly abused.
 
Aurora was a mess at this point, her face stain with tear and her nose dripping rather messily. She tried to wipe her face dry as she sobbed and panted but it did little if anything to improve her face. The tone of his voice had changed as she was glad to know that the harsh words and rough grabs would be stopping for the time being. She did not even wait for him to pull her closer before she buried her face into his chest and sob, taking in the comforting hold and crying out all the fear and worry that had built up in her chest.

Though when he admitted why he had exactly been doing that she wanted to call him a fool. One could not teach a lamb to become a wolf right out of the pasture! She just couldn't change into some rough and tumble woman in one night, she did not have the experience or the heart. She sobbed for as long as she could muster and when her eyes had dried and her voice had left her, she only whimpered softly.
 
He let her cry her fill. It was his fault that she was so emotionally wrecked after all. And while she sobbed into his chest, his hands did their best to soothe her with gentle caressing. Her back, her shoulders, her nape. He rested his cheek atop her head, gazing at nothing in particular.

And when she seemed to settle a little, Garik scooped the woman up into his arms and carried her from the room. "We will talk more on this matter later," he said softly, nearly unheard.

Outside, the snow storm raged on, battering against the stone of the fortress and rattling against the straw shutters. Inside, Garik's bare feet hardly made a sound as he calmly headed for his room with his armful. Gently, he laid Aurora on the bed, tucked her feet in before pulling blankets of silk and fur up to her chin. "Rest. Then come find me when you've regained your composure." It was an order, but a tender one.

So the big, bad barbarian could be gentle after all.
 
Aurora barely noticed as Garik carried her along, his hold was just so gentle. Her whimpering had passed and she was only breathing shakily now as they walked quietly in the halls. Before she realized it, she was in his room and being placed upon his plush bed, her feet tucked under silk covers and warm fur. Her heart was still beating rapidly but it was slowing down a bit now as he told her to rest and come find him once she was composed. She nodded that time, not trusting her voice to stay stable at that time.

Once he left, she closed her eyes and focused on sleeping. That was the only thing she wanted on her mind. She tried her best to forget about the yelling and screaming and rough touches and instead worked on getting some rest like he had said. Rest was something she really needed at the moment anyway.

So as the storm raged outside, hitting the fortress harshly and causing winds to howl, the weak and frightened woman turned onto her side and closed her eyes, slowly her breath and thinking of calmer times. At least in her dreams she could feel safe.
 
Garik ducked the clay pot that came sailing toward his head. It crashed into the wall behind him, shattering to bits, and as he stood back up he offered Evyin an apologetic smile. His choice of words while explaining to the woman why Aurora was absent from the kitchen that evening was not exactly... Well it could have used a little more sugar and a lot less bluntly obvious.

"Get. Out. Get out of my kitchen, you foul beast of a man! I'll skin you alive if you ever harm her again!" shouted Evyin, precisely two heartbeats before she reached for her next item to throw, which just so happened to be a knife.

That was Garik's cue to leave, if not the words the enraged woman had just barked at him. Evyin, before her pregnancy, had been a warrior and a master of the knife. It was best even for someone like Garik not to tangle with her when she was seeing nothing but red and holding a knife in her hand.

Slipping out the door to the kitchen, the barbarian warrior gave a heavy sigh, lifting a hand to scratch the stubble along his jaw. He now had two women furious with him and one that would probably never trust him again. His mother would have smacked him upside the head, maybe even with something blunt. Crossing his arms over his chest, he pinched his lips together and debated on what he could possibly do with himself. He had two choice, because he refused to acknowledge the third: he could either find himself a woman companion for the evening or he could do some training. Strangely enough, the latter sounded more appealing, possibly because of what had transpired a few hours ago.

Dinner was brought to those who were trapped in the fortress and Thaya set a bowl of hearty soup down on the abandoned dinner table. Garik did not cease his training though. Up and over the shoulder, around the neck, and back over the shoulder again. He repeated this movement over and over, swinging the heavy weight on the end of the pole, veins lifting on his arms, sweat beading on his forehead. The hall was quiet and void, save for Garik whom everyone seemed to be avoiding out of pure terror.

They all knew that when he did his mace training, he would most likely club the person who did or said something that irked him.
 
Aurora did not sleep for very long, as her body seemed to flinch and react to the smallest things now. She did get some rest though and that was enough to clear her mind and allow her to think. She laid there in the bed for the longest time, just taking in the feel of the sheets as she looked up at the ceiling. She remembered being placed there by Garik after the frightening encounter in the hall. She had been so shaken by it that even now in her calm state she had goose bumps running up her arms and her heart having an erratic beat. It certainly was not healthy.

However, Aurora had something else on her mind. She had had kitchen duty that evening and the events at the barn, in the forge and in the hall had basically kept her out of the kitchen for the majority of the time she had been needed. Poor Evyin had only had one person to help her feed the whole fort that night. A small amount of guilt taking her, she sat up and sighed deeply. Though Garik said to come see him once she was calm, she did not have the strength to go through something like that again, not so soon anyway. Also, being in his bed only seemed to make her nervous, as if he might come in and try to rest while she was still there.

After looking around the room and tugging on her underdress, the only thing she had been in at the time, and made her way out into the hall. It seemed the storm had locked most up in their rooms to keep warm, some in pairs and others alone. It didn't even seem to be much of a meal going on as only a few risked to venture out into the cool halls for anything to eat. That was lucky for her though, as it allowed her to shuffle towards the kitchen in peace. She'd apologize to Evyin for her absence and then get to her own room, curl up and pray that sleep would take her once again in mercy so she could just leave the events behind her.

"Evyin?..." She called softly as she peaked into the kitchen, opening the door enough to just slip in and then close it behind herself. The room was so much warmer than the hall and she wished she did not have to leave, sadly though her bed was elsewhere in this cold and nerve wrecking place.
 
"It will have to be you then, Thaya," Evyin was saying from her seat by the fire. A wooden bowl of berries balanced on her belly while she bite into a big, thick strawberry.

Thaya sat near her, though further from the fire while she worked with a curved needle and a thick piece of leather. She shook her head, lifting his gaze a moment to respond. "He will never leave her behind. He's attached to her." She gave a little snicker and snort and returned to her work as she added, "Maybe even fancies her."

"We can't let him bully her and terrorize her some more!"

"And I still say Garik will not want me but her to go with him. Besides, that man learns by doing and certainly learns from his mistakes. He won't try something like that again." There was a grumble from Evyin before Thaya chuckled and brushed some hair from her eyes with the back of her hand. "It's the weather she'll have trouble with... Oh and the traveling."

The two of them obviously hadn't heard Aurora quietly call over the crackling fire and the squeaking of Evyin's chair as it rocked back and forth slowly.
 
Aurora listened quietly for a small moment as the women talked, obviously not having been heard the first time around. She was a bit confused by the conversation but as it went along she started to figure out what they were talking about. It seemed that they knew of the incident, how she was not sure but they knew. Evyin seemed determined to want to keep her safe while Thaya's theory as to why Garik had done it had her blushing deeply.

Him fancying her? Outrageous...He was was just mean, he pushed her around and yelled at her. Though, he had gotten calmer and softer though as he say her crying and fearful face...Maybe he did have some heart. Still though, emotions for her were probably the last thing that was causing it all. Her attention was brought back to them when they mentioned weather and traveling, the idea confusing to say the least. There was a storm out there, who would dare travel in that!? Still though, it seemed that they believed that she could not handle it...whatever it was.

"What traveling?" Aurora asked them a bit louder, having walked into the room and now standing closer to them in their chairs near the fire.
 
Both women turned their attention up to Aurora with expressions of surprise and mild embarrassment. They'd been caught gossiping by the topic herself!

Thaya opened her mouth to speak, upon processing Aurora's question, but Evyin quickly replied with, "Don't worry about that for now. It won't happen until after the storm ends. Besides," and she waved her hand in the air as if brushing the conversation off to the side like a bothersome fly, "you missed the evening meal, child. There's a bit left in the pot, bread's in the oven. When you're done..."

Thaya smiled softly at the hesitating Evyin, leaning forward to pat the woman's hand. Then she finished Evyin's sentence with, "If you could please collect the Master's dishes? He'll probably still be in the dinner hall." She lifted a hand to tap a fingertip to her chin while she considered something. "I wonder if he even ate."
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back