- Posting Speed
- Multiple posts per day
- Online Availability
- 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
- Writing Levels
- Prestige
- Preferred Character Gender
- Male
- Primarily Prefer Female
- Genres
- Political intrigue, fantasy, futuristic, sci fi lite, superheroes, historical fiction, alternate universes. Smittings of romance, but only as side plot.
They moved from the caves with a vague sense of urgency, though what drove them remained a mystery. Their journey was swift, nevertheless, and their conversations brief, catering more to silence than anything. Catriona's mood had shifted as they neared Westhollow again, the anxiety she'd felt upon leaving creeping in again. In seemed funny somehow to think that only a few hours ago, she had nearly died in that same city. She could feel it, the knife burrowing into her shoulder. The fear and uncertainty. The pain.
If there was any possibility that Wymond and Ardryan had found themselves in trouble, it felt wrong not to return to lend them aid. They were there because of her… because they had come to Westhollow with her. And even if the decision had been their own to make, she knew she would carry the weight of guilt if anything happened to them and she hadn't at least tried to help. And while they were capable men, the task they had to carry out was dangerous, even for seasoned warriors and soldiers.
It became glaringly obvious as they came closer to the city that her worries had not been untoward. The smell hit first… familiar to Catriona in a way she had hoped to never be reminded of and as they breached the hill that would lead them down towards the city, she froze, gripped by a sudden sense of panic.
She hadn't wanted to acknowledge it when the smell first hit her near her family's home, but there was little sense denying it, now. It was burning… people burning, "Oh God… Darin. The city…"
The cave would forever be a moment etched in his mind. The time he had spent with Catriona was time he would not have traded for anything. This scene was different. Smoke filled the night sky blotting out stars as a faint glow of fire filled the city. Outside, three fires, much smaller than the fourth, dotted the fields, but that was not what gripped his attention the most. He had smelled it only once before, in Norcrest as he stood in the town square after Sarah….and he smelled it both nights after that in his nightmares: burnt flesh. Catriona seemed to notice as well.
"I see it," he responded as he shifted the bow behind him, "Come on, we have to see if we can help."
She heard him. She heard him and she willing herself to move, but her feet remained locked in place and her chest tightened as she stared into the smoke rising high against the night. It was a distant terror in her eyes… A memory, too fresh, too new, and it was dragging her back there, back to the Vineyard.
Darin was two steps closer to the city before he realized she wasn't following him. Turning half way, he spoke again, "Catriona," but she was somewhere else, he could see it in her eyes. Concern for her all but replaced the concern he had for the people of Westhollow as he turned the rest of the way and closed the distance, "Hey," he placed his hands on her upper arms and gave her a light squeeze, "You alright?"
Her eyes snapped to his as his hand brushed her arm, widening for a moment, before she forced herself to nod, swallowing down nerves that crept along her spine, racing heart pounding painfully as she took an uncertain step forward, "I'm fine…" She lied, because the truth was no good for Westhollow, "Come on… they might still be in there."
His gaze lingered on her a moment. A desire to press her, to make sure she was alright was suppressed. She was right. Whatever had just happened could wait until after they made sure that Ardryan and Wymond were safe, "Alright," he responded as he pulled one hand from her shoulder and slid the second down to her hand, "Then we'd better get going," he squeezed it gently and turned back to Westhollow.
As they started towards the city, it was his hand grasping her own that grounded her, but even with that reassurance, the closer they came, the harder it became to contain the fear welling inside of her. Their lives had become fire and fear and death, and instead of fleeing from it they were racing towards it… and she could not escape the horrible feeling that they were doomed to it. To the chaos and burning.
They could have run. They could have turned the other way and left it all behind… And a part of her wanted to, still. But she was not raised to neglect the needs of others above her own and while her family was gone, she would still honor their memories.
But the fear was crippling and rose in her life a wave of heat all its own, "There's two sources!" She murmured, pausing again to take in the sight of the burning city, "Where do we go?"
Surveying the situation, Darin took note of the fires outside and the one inside, "Westhollow has to be working hard at the fire inside, so let's help with the fire outside. Besides, we're closer to it and can be of more help there. Come on!"
As they drew closer, the scene became clearer. Darin recalled, when they had entered Westhollow earlier that day, the men carrying the wood out of the city and stacking them on the piles. Then he did not know why but now, a gasp escaped his lips. They were building pyres to burn the three people earlier. Two had already succumbed to their gruesome injuries, but the third clinged to the pole trying desperately to avoid the flames a young boy and woman were working hard to extinguish, "We've got to help them," he told Catriona.
At the sight of the woman and child, aiding the poor creature on the post, fear for herself evaporated and Catriona felt a surge of fury… The people of Westhollow had done this. She recalled the word of the guard… These were the condemned. The man that Ardryan and Wymond had gone to help and the two others. Only one remained, and Rion wasn't going to fail her.
Releasing Darin's hand in favor of haste, she sprinted down the hill towards the scene, but as they neared, another figure appeared and Rion skidded to a halt. Her eyes widened as she watched the scene unfold… the man walking into the fire… the black sheen spreading… The girl was freed, but Catriona could scarcely believe what she had seen. Shock was momentary, however, truncated by concern as the man collapsed, and swiftly, she turned to Darin, "He's hurt!"
"I'll see if I can help," he replied, before sprinting to the small group. He had to cover his nose and mouth with his hand as he approached, the smell of burning flesh rushing into his nostrils. Swallowing back a gag, he looked at the two fighting the fires, and then to the two on the ground. Shaking his head, he called out, "They're gone! These two aren't. Forget about them."
Rion followed, fighting the quiver in her legs as her mind warred against the idea of racing towards the fire. Darin needed her, and she would not abandon him to fear. As he neared those who were injured, she slowed as well and dropped beside the woman, grimacing at the state of her. The fire had done its damage, and that was only what she could see on the outside… no doubt the smoke had taken its toll as well, "Does anyone know--"
The sound was distant, but distinct and Rion trailed off as her eyes moved to find the source. There, near the gates, she could see the woman, collapsed in on herself, but she was distinctly familiar. Heart giving a painful throb, she turned, "Darin! It's her… the woman Ardryan and Wymond were helping!"
His eyes followed hers, but there was no sign of Ardryan or Wymond, "Go, Catriona. I'll be fine here."
Nodding, Catriona rose to her feet and crossing the small gap between the pyres and the gate, she came to a halt near the woman, crouching down with the barest hint of apprehension, "...M...miss?"
Lucia rocked back and forth, her sobs tearing uncontrollably from her chest, her reddened eyes reflecting the hungry flames that had devoured her brother. Since being abandoned by the two men who had failed her...failed her brother...Lucia had crumbled into a mourning shell of a woman oblivious to anything else around her.
Reaching out, Catriona hesitated, before laying a hand on the woman's arm, "...Hey… Come on. You shouldn't be seeing this. We need to get you--" Looking past the woman, her eyes fell on another sight of familiarity and straightening, she sucked in a sharp breath, "Oh, thank the Gods… Don't move, Miss. We'll get you help."
Rising, she moved past the gates just a little, until she could see them fully, heading off in the opposite direction, "Wymond! Ardryan!"
TAGS || @...everyone? @Jays, @Ultra Paradox | Collab with @DarinValore
If there was any possibility that Wymond and Ardryan had found themselves in trouble, it felt wrong not to return to lend them aid. They were there because of her… because they had come to Westhollow with her. And even if the decision had been their own to make, she knew she would carry the weight of guilt if anything happened to them and she hadn't at least tried to help. And while they were capable men, the task they had to carry out was dangerous, even for seasoned warriors and soldiers.
It became glaringly obvious as they came closer to the city that her worries had not been untoward. The smell hit first… familiar to Catriona in a way she had hoped to never be reminded of and as they breached the hill that would lead them down towards the city, she froze, gripped by a sudden sense of panic.
She hadn't wanted to acknowledge it when the smell first hit her near her family's home, but there was little sense denying it, now. It was burning… people burning, "Oh God… Darin. The city…"
The cave would forever be a moment etched in his mind. The time he had spent with Catriona was time he would not have traded for anything. This scene was different. Smoke filled the night sky blotting out stars as a faint glow of fire filled the city. Outside, three fires, much smaller than the fourth, dotted the fields, but that was not what gripped his attention the most. He had smelled it only once before, in Norcrest as he stood in the town square after Sarah….and he smelled it both nights after that in his nightmares: burnt flesh. Catriona seemed to notice as well.
"I see it," he responded as he shifted the bow behind him, "Come on, we have to see if we can help."
She heard him. She heard him and she willing herself to move, but her feet remained locked in place and her chest tightened as she stared into the smoke rising high against the night. It was a distant terror in her eyes… A memory, too fresh, too new, and it was dragging her back there, back to the Vineyard.
Darin was two steps closer to the city before he realized she wasn't following him. Turning half way, he spoke again, "Catriona," but she was somewhere else, he could see it in her eyes. Concern for her all but replaced the concern he had for the people of Westhollow as he turned the rest of the way and closed the distance, "Hey," he placed his hands on her upper arms and gave her a light squeeze, "You alright?"
Her eyes snapped to his as his hand brushed her arm, widening for a moment, before she forced herself to nod, swallowing down nerves that crept along her spine, racing heart pounding painfully as she took an uncertain step forward, "I'm fine…" She lied, because the truth was no good for Westhollow, "Come on… they might still be in there."
His gaze lingered on her a moment. A desire to press her, to make sure she was alright was suppressed. She was right. Whatever had just happened could wait until after they made sure that Ardryan and Wymond were safe, "Alright," he responded as he pulled one hand from her shoulder and slid the second down to her hand, "Then we'd better get going," he squeezed it gently and turned back to Westhollow.
As they started towards the city, it was his hand grasping her own that grounded her, but even with that reassurance, the closer they came, the harder it became to contain the fear welling inside of her. Their lives had become fire and fear and death, and instead of fleeing from it they were racing towards it… and she could not escape the horrible feeling that they were doomed to it. To the chaos and burning.
They could have run. They could have turned the other way and left it all behind… And a part of her wanted to, still. But she was not raised to neglect the needs of others above her own and while her family was gone, she would still honor their memories.
But the fear was crippling and rose in her life a wave of heat all its own, "There's two sources!" She murmured, pausing again to take in the sight of the burning city, "Where do we go?"
Surveying the situation, Darin took note of the fires outside and the one inside, "Westhollow has to be working hard at the fire inside, so let's help with the fire outside. Besides, we're closer to it and can be of more help there. Come on!"
As they drew closer, the scene became clearer. Darin recalled, when they had entered Westhollow earlier that day, the men carrying the wood out of the city and stacking them on the piles. Then he did not know why but now, a gasp escaped his lips. They were building pyres to burn the three people earlier. Two had already succumbed to their gruesome injuries, but the third clinged to the pole trying desperately to avoid the flames a young boy and woman were working hard to extinguish, "We've got to help them," he told Catriona.
At the sight of the woman and child, aiding the poor creature on the post, fear for herself evaporated and Catriona felt a surge of fury… The people of Westhollow had done this. She recalled the word of the guard… These were the condemned. The man that Ardryan and Wymond had gone to help and the two others. Only one remained, and Rion wasn't going to fail her.
Releasing Darin's hand in favor of haste, she sprinted down the hill towards the scene, but as they neared, another figure appeared and Rion skidded to a halt. Her eyes widened as she watched the scene unfold… the man walking into the fire… the black sheen spreading… The girl was freed, but Catriona could scarcely believe what she had seen. Shock was momentary, however, truncated by concern as the man collapsed, and swiftly, she turned to Darin, "He's hurt!"
"I'll see if I can help," he replied, before sprinting to the small group. He had to cover his nose and mouth with his hand as he approached, the smell of burning flesh rushing into his nostrils. Swallowing back a gag, he looked at the two fighting the fires, and then to the two on the ground. Shaking his head, he called out, "They're gone! These two aren't. Forget about them."
Rion followed, fighting the quiver in her legs as her mind warred against the idea of racing towards the fire. Darin needed her, and she would not abandon him to fear. As he neared those who were injured, she slowed as well and dropped beside the woman, grimacing at the state of her. The fire had done its damage, and that was only what she could see on the outside… no doubt the smoke had taken its toll as well, "Does anyone know--"
The sound was distant, but distinct and Rion trailed off as her eyes moved to find the source. There, near the gates, she could see the woman, collapsed in on herself, but she was distinctly familiar. Heart giving a painful throb, she turned, "Darin! It's her… the woman Ardryan and Wymond were helping!"
His eyes followed hers, but there was no sign of Ardryan or Wymond, "Go, Catriona. I'll be fine here."
Nodding, Catriona rose to her feet and crossing the small gap between the pyres and the gate, she came to a halt near the woman, crouching down with the barest hint of apprehension, "...M...miss?"
Lucia rocked back and forth, her sobs tearing uncontrollably from her chest, her reddened eyes reflecting the hungry flames that had devoured her brother. Since being abandoned by the two men who had failed her...failed her brother...Lucia had crumbled into a mourning shell of a woman oblivious to anything else around her.
Reaching out, Catriona hesitated, before laying a hand on the woman's arm, "...Hey… Come on. You shouldn't be seeing this. We need to get you--" Looking past the woman, her eyes fell on another sight of familiarity and straightening, she sucked in a sharp breath, "Oh, thank the Gods… Don't move, Miss. We'll get you help."
Rising, she moved past the gates just a little, until she could see them fully, heading off in the opposite direction, "Wymond! Ardryan!"
TAGS || @...everyone? @Jays, @Ultra Paradox | Collab with @DarinValore
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