sinbound. [Akira & Earinor] [ENG]

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    • "I'm not going to bed too late. I always went to bed with you, whenever you felt tired, even if the sun was still up, right?", Caelan answered. And he also mostly woke up with him, unless someone knocked on the door and dragged him somewhere else. When Caelan was alone he also didn't go to bed very late. He liked gazing at the stars, but not the whole night and in the end there were more things to do while the sun was up. It was a different story when he was with his friends though, but that didn't happen on a regular basis. "You have scars of your own already. Besides, I wouldn't want you to get hurt. Being impaled by a boar isn't something to be proud of. Actually, it hurt a lot." It probably was even worse for Cameron who had to drag Caelan back and not have him die. They went by foot too and he didn't want to leave him alone either. It hadn't been much fun for either of them, even though they could laugh about it now. Ronan was different though. Whether it was him or Caelan being hurt, it would edge itself in Ronans mind and he wouldn't be able to forget it, or find it funny. It was the same with the scar that remained on Caelans face and it didn't matter if it was Ronans sword, or if he just stood by. Caelan was sure of that, even though it was maybe not his place to be that protective of him. "Feed you grapes? Last time I said I'd feed you you didn't sound excited about it.", Caelan pointed out.

      "I think I won't be trying if I already plant silly ideas in your head by only asking how I'd look!", Caelan answered. He didn't want Ronan to grow a beard out of spite, but it was something he'd do, at least he felt like he was the person for something stupid like that. "A snowball fight? Yeah, on the mountain pass would be a good spot, but we can also do a daytrip back to the mountains once we arrived in Fhaergus and got rid of our luggage. If we leave early we can be back for dinner, you know? I want to show you some spots anyway, but if you're not into hiking we can look around the valley too.", Caelan suggested. They'd come across a lot of snow during their short journey and Ronan would probably be cold at some point. Caelan didn't need his coat though. "My father only rides out if he's going on a hunt.", Caelan replied, but that he did fairly often. "But he also can send people in advance of his journey to double check the pass. I mean, he usually does that when he knows a carriage of some noble arrives too. Most merchants however pack their horses directly instead of using a carriage."

    • "Not when you're with me but you can't tell me that you go to sleep on time when you're alone or with your friends." In the end, however, he was merely assuming things and pulling at strings he didn't even know where there - it was almost as if he was trying to test some limits, to see if Caelan was making a fool of him just for the fun of it, but no matter what, Ronan was fairly convinced that the blonde wasn't just a good boy, either. Why would he be? There were plenty of things that pointed toward him being at least a little rowdy, quite obviously, so ... what was getting into him? They both were rebellious, trying to be someone they maybe weren't, but all things considered, the blonde was doing a better job at playing pretend. "You're not wrong, but the scars that I do have are not really worth mentioning either, so I better get some memorable ones." Caelan had a story for each one of them, or at least most of which remained - it only followed that, in the end, they'd get Ronan some, any, that would give him some sense of self or at least the crude satisfaction he seemed to be craving. Whatever the case, however, it didn't matter much - the only reason he wanted some of them was because he wanted to be more like Caelan, more like someone that he admired and someone that was worth admiring in the first place.

      "People can change their mind and now I demand to be fed grapes to hand you my hand in marriage!", he demanded, puffing his cheeks quite obviously, as if he were his brother, young and unable to take no for a real answer. There were alternative solutions for everything, Ronan was fairly aware and it didn't have to be grapes, either, yet it had been the only thing that came to mind on the whim that he was feeling. "Hiking does sound like a good idea, actually. Hm, then we'll make it a day trip, I think it'll be easier than explaining to anyone why we look like we got in an argument or had some silly fun on our way here." After all, they were supposed to make a good first impression either way and none of that was going to help Ronan in said endeavor, especially not when he looked like death itself. "What about going to an event, though? He does take the carriage, right?" That was common for nobles and it should be for the two of them, too, yet it didn't end up being, solely for the fact that they didn't seem to fancy it - none of them did, actually, or did they? "Nobles are just odd, aren't they? But all jokes aside, I don't think I've ever travelled to Fhaergus like this or because I had someone I desperately wanted to spend time with." Caelan was a first in some odd ways, wasn't he?
      Looking back, it maybe is like the toy carts you rode when you were a kid. But those toy carts could never go beyond the walls of the lawn. We want to follow the rugged concrete road beyond the wall. As we've grown, we've decided to leave behind the toy cart.

    • "When I'm alone I go to bed at an reasonable hour. When I'm with my friends I usually stay up late but that doesn't happen all too often. Should Cameron and I be on a trip we sleep at reasonable times too, because it is hard to travel at night.", Caelan explained. He was one to run around and do stuff and that was easier when he was able to see where he ran too. Sure, sometimes he sneaked into town, but everybody knew him there so there was no much hiding and drinking with the common folk. They always treated him differently somehow, so he rarely did go to an inn to have some fun. But if they were lucky Ronan and him could visit a market and just stroll about. Caelan didn't want to say anything about Ronans scars though. He had a prominent one on his wrists, one he got from himself and Caelan of sorts, because he had been the one to fix it that crudely and fast. He didn't like that one bit, but he also didn't want to argue about it. Ronan was so focused on getting hurt, he didn't even notice that it hurt Caelan too, especially if he was causing him pain, or was the reason they did something reckless, or the reason Ronan wanted to go out there, because he admired him a little bit too much. He only talked about his own new scar like he was proud of it, to mask the apparent insecurity it caused, simply because it was in the middle of his face.

      "I'll keep it in mind in case I do want to marry you.", Caelan answered and then nodded. "Yeah whenever we go somewhere he takes on of the carriages. When we were going to Lavern he wanted to force me into it too, I refused and rode off.", Caelan explained. "He didn't try to force me when we traveled to Alster at least, but I rode with them most of the way." As long as his father was in the carriage and Caelan outside on his horse, he didn't have to listen to him so that was fine. His father always wanted to arrive together with the whole family and make a good impression, Caelan knew as much but sometimes he just couldn't stand being around him. His father felt the same towards Caelan, that much was obvious to him. "From your home it's actually not that far at all. Which is why I was telling you to come by if you need to. Feel free to use the hut too. Remember the way I'm showing you tomorrow, alright? It's a little hidden, which is the point.", Caelan smiled and since they wanted to hurry up, he let his horse run a little faster. They wanted to reach the inn before sundown after all.

    • "And here I thought you never went to bed without supervision and stayed awake the entire night. It's almost as if, no matter what I assume, you turn out to be much tamer than that." He had a wrong picture of Caelan in his head, or did he? Whatever the case, the blonde was still his fellow noble - one who's title and rank in society meant something - and not some asshat that just did whatever he wanted, even though he proved to be quite the whore, huh? In the end, it didn't matter much, he knew that and he'd find himself in quite the pickle either way. Not only that, however, it seemed as if the only thing on his mind was being appealing to Caelan, to have stories to tell him, to stop being the plain wallflower he was and doubt himself for being nothing but a pinch of thin air, compared to someone like him. Ronan thought about all of this in quite the complex way, he was sure and he assumed the darnest of things, that much was apparent too, but all of that came down to a boil eventually and he'd resume doing the usual once he found that having and earning scars wasn't exactly the intended purpose of living his life. Instead, he should be glad to have someone like the blonde by his side, as much as he dreaded some of their inevitable interactions when he hurt himself just because Caelan looked away for a mere second - was it that?

      "That sounds like you were not even planning to propose to me in the first place!", the noble chuckled, sounding almost offended by the insinuation that Caelan, of all people, did not want to marry the guy that seemed to bring him so much more joy than a simple girl, just there to spread her legs for someone with name and title in hopes of marrying him and securing fortune and fame. "I normally join them, but it's always incredibly awkward. My parents rarely go to an event together, most of the time it's just either of them and me, or all four of us. And if it's all four of us, I sometimes wish I didn't climb in to the carriage. Worse than that if me and my father are alone in it", he grumbled and the thought alone sent a shiver down his spine - being alone with this man brought nothing good upon anyone, Ronan knew that, felt that and understood that to such a ridiculous degree, he only needed a bit more of information on him and maybe he could just rat him out for the bastard that he was. "So you do listen to your old man sometimes? Who are you and what did you do to Caelan?", the half-wolf inquired, knowing that there was no carbon copy on the horse next to him ... but that changed too and suddenly, he had to catch up to the blonde again. "Fine then! Show me that hut of yours!" That just sounded like an invitation to trespass into Fhaergus territory and hide himself from the rest of the world for weeks to come, but Ronan didn't mind, actually, he looked forward to that. "No way in hell we can share a room at the inn, though!" That would go as well as sharing a bathtub, he presumed.
      Looking back, it maybe is like the toy carts you rode when you were a kid. But those toy carts could never go beyond the walls of the lawn. We want to follow the rugged concrete road beyond the wall. As we've grown, we've decided to leave behind the toy cart.

    • "I'm not a child. I'm just not listening to my father all the time, but that doesn't mean I do exactly the opposite either. I decide for myself what I want to do and I know that I can't just run around and be stupid all the time. I am a very adult behaving seventeen year old, aren't I?", he asked and probably ruined all he said with that last sentence. He didn't really mind. Most people saw either someone reckless, a player or a total goofball in him and that was fine. He just did and said what he thought was right and lived by that. He also knew no matter what he did, his father didn't approve, so why not live by his own rules then? "Don't you think it's a little early to start talking about marriage?", he then asked with a grin as if it was a possibility someday. "It doesn't seem like they like each other a whole lot.", he commented then. He saw them interact at that one dinner they had, it felt incredibly odd. Ronan would have none of that with Caelans family. "You need to be less scared of your father. Fathers aren't always right and sometimes, no matter what you do, it is wrong in their eyes. Just don't give a shit about it." Caelan talked out of his own experience, but he disliked the topic in the first place. "I do if I want to avoid conflict.", he smiled and his smile turned into laughter soon after. "You're innocence will remain intact for tonight at least then, I guess."

      With that they rode a little faster to reach the inn before sundown. The owners there knew Caelan and they had very expensive rooms for two nobles like that. As promised they got two separate rooms and after eating dinner they went to bed early. Each of them remained in their own bed tonight, although it felt awkward to Caelan and he was sure he was able to just sleep next to Ronan too. In the end however they both only left their room at the next day. Caelan woke up first, barged into Ronans room and dragged him out of bed while he let their horses be readied and breakfast be served. They left in the early morning hours and started their way up the mountain. The pass was looking fine, but it grew colder and the woods of Alster soon were no more than green spots below them. The horses had to do most of the climb and eventually on a crossing that didn't even look like one Caelan stopped and directed Ronan onto a much smaller and rockier path. His own horse was fine, knowing the terrain well, but they took it slow so Ronans horse could keep up too. "Are you cold?", Caelan eventually asked over his shoulder since the path was too narrow for both of them to ride next to each other. Besides that there was a cliff on their left side and one wrong step probably meant death here. Caelan wasn't bothered by that at all and he didn't even think of the possibility Ronan would. "You can borrow my coat if you are, I'm fine without it."

    • They had made their way to the inn faster than expected, but Ronan also knew that from here on out, even if there was something like summer in Fhaergus too, it would just get colder. That, however, wasn't his primary holdup anyway. What turned out to be said holdup was the fact that, as suspected, he wasn't sharing a room with Caelan and while he didn't necessarily mind that, he found himself tossing and turning, trying to find something to grab ahold of after weeks of spending time in the same bed almost evry single night - it just felt odd to be somewhere he'd never been before, all alone and yet, he'd never felt like that before knowing the blonde either, it almost was like he'd been cursed. By what or whom, he didn't know, but once he did close his eyes, it didn't feel like a long while had passed until he was dragged out of bed, served breakfast and forced back onto a horse to resume their journey all the way to Fhaergus home - something Ronan seemed to loathe, not only because he wasn't sure what impression he'd make in the first place and also because it was going to get cold, colder than he liked it to be. That, however, also wasn't all that bad - in the end, it meant he'd have an excuse to get away from Darragh and he could finally relax without seeming like an absolute maniac for hating his father in the first place. Somehow, Caelan understood him, didn't he?

      The road eventually got narrow, much more than he - and his horse, likewise - had anticipated. One glance to either of his side revealed that there barely was anything that allowed for a mistake in his calculation and even if the heroic guy that he so desperately tried to love and be was pointing the way, he wasn't sure if he felt good about all of this. In fact, as unafraid of death as he usually was, the lone thought of falling all the way down there made his stomach turn and pull into a knot that he was saddled with as he tried to keep his eyes focused on what was infront of him, rather than to his sides. "No, I'm fine, I think", he answered, and as if he wasn't sure, he checked his own arm - with gloved hands - which obviously yielded no real result. Ronan wasn't sure, yet ... "You are going to catch a cold without a coat!", he insisted, but that didn't sound like Caelan, in fact, it sounded more like Ronan himself - him and his stupid body that sometimes decided to work, other times it didn't and then, when it did and he finally was okay with going outside, he found himself sick for days just because he could. A clogged up nose wouldn't stop him from going outside of course, but a brain that felt like it was soup definitely would. "Why are you asking? That desperate to give your coat away?", he tried to find out, but ... Caelan was just a nice guy, nothing else, right?
      Looking back, it maybe is like the toy carts you rode when you were a kid. But those toy carts could never go beyond the walls of the lawn. We want to follow the rugged concrete road beyond the wall. As we've grown, we've decided to leave behind the toy cart.

    • Caelan usually rode this path in double the speed, but he calculated with taking it slow with Ronan around. When he looked back he felt like Ronan felt uneasy already and what they were traveling on was not a manmade path, it was just some rocks that formed a line their horses could walk on. "I'm not catching a cold!", Caelan laughed, his coat wasn't even closed up right now. "It's actually pretty warm today." The sun was up and on the mountain it got pretty hot despite the snow. Ronan would end up with a sunburn wouldn't he? It would be typical for him. "I'm asking because you're always cold. And I'm not.", Caelan answered with a smile and led his horse further down the path. At second thought he wasn't sure if Ronan would come here on his own, if he had to cross this here. "You know if you feel safer we could get off the horses. Further up there is an alcove we can take a break in and switch horses too if you want. Mine knows the path very well." Caelan patted his horses neck. How often had they been up here? Often enough for his horse and himself to be able to walk this path blindfolded.

      "After the alcove it's another fifteen or twenty minutes, then we got that part behind us. Then it'll be a little bit of a steep climb, afterwards we're almost there.", Caelan explained trying to calm Ronan down, although he wasn't sure if that was necessary. Switching horses however was a good option, Caelans horse was calm up here and he probably was able to handle Ronans himself. "If you want we also can take another path down tomorrow.", he proposed. When going towards Fhaergus they could travel down the mountain a bit before going back to the pass. "And make sure to remember the path.", he added, Ronan had to remember how to get here. Caelan actually came here quite often, whenever he wanted to be alone, even in winter sometimes, although he knew it was dangerous. He had bows and arrows at the hut to be able to catch some food, he made sure he always was stacked with firewood and there were some more supplies which wouldn't go to waste so easily. Some flour, some spices and sometimes even more that would be eatable for a while. So whenever Ronan came here he'd also find everything he needed to survive for a bit.

    • Why on gods green earth had he agreed to doing this? In hindsight, it almost felt as if not only had he doomed himself but Caelan, too. It only took one step, one slip and he'd be facing death incarnate in a swift motion - that was all there was to it and why was he still thinking about that in the first place? It felt silly to say the least, but not only that, it also was incredibly annoying to waste so many thoughts on things that would happen if they had to - and Ronan didn't quite care about himself, yet, he did care about Caelan and if anything were to ever happen to the blonde because of himself, he'd probably hate himself for more than it was worth. "Warm? You're insane. And I'm not always cold ...", he grumbled, but he knew that, for the lack of a better explanation, it seemed to be those accursed Fhaergus genes and the fact that Caelan grew up out here and never thought twice about maybe catching something, anything, that warranted greater care. Still, he wasn't exactly cold when Caelan held him, right? "The day you actually catch a cold, you probably fall into a lake and can't get out until someone finds you or something silly like that. You're never sick, how in the world do you manage that?" It sounded like a dream come true, something that Ronan had barred himself from by locking himself up inside and hiding away from the world. "No need to, it's not like I'm feeling unsafe either, just a bit spooked."

      Why did he agree to this? He kept his eyes peeled on the ground, as if the countless rocks were going to tell him to where this path was leading in the first place and no matter what, he'd not think too much about it either, lest he found himself in quite the pickle and then some more, just because he could overthink during any situation that he found to be as annoying as it could get. Silence, however, not only befell him but also his thoughts for quite a while. "Caelan, no need for a detour, I'm good and my horse is fine." Being nervous wasn't good either way, but no matter what he tried to make of it, in the end, it would amount to nothing more than well, nothing, in the first place. Was it so hard to understand what any of this truly meant, though? Caelan wasn't trying to kill him, he was just trying to help him and show him a place where he could escape to if Alster was, well, not the ideal option anymore - which was sweet in itself, but it just felt odd. "No, no. I'm fine. I'll memorize this one and once I need to remember it, I will. No need to accomodate me, you're already doing more than enough ... do you have any more stories to pass the time, though? Something silly like Cameron throwing you into a fountain or one of your dates dumping you and ruining your suit?" Taking his mind off of things would be good, too.
      Looking back, it maybe is like the toy carts you rode when you were a kid. But those toy carts could never go beyond the walls of the lawn. We want to follow the rugged concrete road beyond the wall. As we've grown, we've decided to leave behind the toy cart.

    • "Compared to winter it is very warm and the sun is up, so it gets even warmer.", Caelan replied with a smile. He actually thought about getting rid of that coat, he didn't just say it to make Ronan take it, he was feeling warm for real. Ronan could suit himself, but he should just know that Caelan didn't need his coat, or his horse for that matter. Ronan was the one nervously focused on the path ahead and his horse would get nervous too at some point. "Good then. It's not far anymore anyway. I guess you don't need a break then.", Caelan smiled, but he kept the slow pace just in case. They didn't need to rush, they'd be at the hut before sundown and should be able to try and catch something too. Maybe they could shoot an eagle or a rabbit, sometimes rabbits found their way up here. What else was here? Not very much, foxes sometimes, wolves mostly lived further down where the woods were, to hunt deer. There were some other small mammals too though and if they couldn't catch something, there was still stuff at the hut too. "I'm sick every now and then, but I don't care much about it. I'm not good at lying in bed. Other than that my body is just used to cold weather I guess.", Caelan answered ans shrugged his shoulders. When was the last time he was sick? Maybe a few years ago?

      "It's not much of a detour when we go to Fhaergus.", Caelan answered, but Ronan could choose whatever he wanted, but he also didn't need to act all composed and strong. As long as the weather was as sunny as it was now however, all was fine. Caelan would probably choose the other route in case it was foggy or overly windy tomorrow. Or he'd at least force Ronan onto his own horse, just in case. "Stories? Hm... I don't think I was ever dumped.", Caelan said while thinking about it further. "And Cameron didn't throw me into a fountain either. But there is a nice cliff in Stenz he dragged me to. It didn't take much convincing to make me jump down into the sea. It's fun, we usually do it once a year. We go out camping there, visit the cliff, hunt, do other stuff, I dunno. But it's stupid actually, the sea is rough around there and it's rather cold since it is close to the border. But we never really cared about dangerous anyway, right? Cameron was thrown into the sea when he was four years old, it figures he doesn't mind a rocky cliff."

    • "So, what you're saying is, I'll freeze my ass off in winter?" Ronan was painfully convinced that no matter what, he'd get cold in Fhaergus anyway and that one trip to Thria had proven to him that no matter what, the blood in his veins meant absolutely nothing to him or anyone if he couldn't shoulder the easiest of burdens from the beginning. It was laughable at best, like he had to prove something to someone like Caelan and upon further inspection and questioning himself, there was little to no understanding of the situation either. "Why would I need one when we aren't far from it anyway?", he inquired instead, knowing that Caelan wanted him to feel comfortable, cherished, loved and many more things, yet, it only felt as if it were in his inquisitive nature to question all of it at once. However, they'd both make their way home eventually, Ronan knew that, so that meant he was even more hellbent on enjoying the chaos that was about to ensue, but not only that, he also felt as if he had no choice in the first place. Caelan wanted him to enjoy himself, therefore he would and no matter what got flung their way, he'd not deny him something that he genuinely asked for - why on earth would he? "Would you like to be sick again so I can pamper you, then?", he mumbled, knowing that he'd rather not have Caelan be sick - he'd not stay in bed and insist on not being taken care of, just like he kind of did when he was in Alster.

      "I doubt it is if you are this keen to drag me out here so soon", he concluded and he wasn't wrong with that, at least probably. It would make little to no sense for Caelan to just try and make him go somewhere that was so far away from Fhaergus' heart that he was wandering around aimlessly for a week to just reach a recluse, was it now? However, not only that, it only proved to be a pain in the ass now that he thought about it - no matter what, he would come here, still, if anything in Alster got too much - he normally had no fear of death or heights, but something clinged to him, almost feverishly and for a moment he thought, maybe Caelan was right and it was warm out here, before shaking that assumption off. "You were never dumped? How on earth did you manage that?" Though, in the end, Caelan was the nice one and Cameron seemed to be the playboy that got countless of drinks and purses thrown after him when he said something wrong or shared two ladies for a night without either one of them knowing - and still, Ronan felt like he didn't have to get swept up in something so incredibly silly that he couldn't care less about. "By the fucking gods, are people in Stenz insane?", he groaned eventually, but it was more of a rhetoric question than anything at all. Whatever, right? "So, you're telling me that you two just try to kill yourselves with as little force as possible once every year? By any means, let me try it too, then." And break every damn bone he could find in his body - why did he insist on doing that?
      Looking back, it maybe is like the toy carts you rode when you were a kid. But those toy carts could never go beyond the walls of the lawn. We want to follow the rugged concrete road beyond the wall. As we've grown, we've decided to leave behind the toy cart.

    • "I'm saying it's colder.", Caelan chuckled, but it would probably be a tad bit to cold for Ronan if he had to be outside. But as soon as he would have made it to the manor he could just relax in front of a fire, with some tea and nobody would bother him, not like it was for him at home. Maybe when winter came they could just get him stuck here. "Because I don't want you to faint by all the apparent danger.", Caelan joked and he knew that even if Ronan needed a break he wouldn't admit it, which was a problem. There was nothing wrong in taking it slow, if Caelan didn't go slow out of his own volition, Ronan wouldn't have said anything either. "No! I lay around enough for one year! Wasn't exactly sick, but, you know. That was enough. It annoyed me after three days already.", Caelan answered. He was stuck in bed, stuck in that room and afterwards stuck in the house too, because too many people were way too worried about him. AT least he got Ronan to go outside with him a little. Bein on his horse now was actually very great.

      "If we go down the mountain another route we still head in almost the same direction. It might be a little slippery, but not as narrow and steep. Whatever you prefer.", Caelan asked once more. They didn't need to take the same path back they came from. "Well I never had a girlfriend that could get sick of me and when I find someone for a night I usually see if they are interested or not. Other than that I think most that come to me wouldn't want to anger the heir of Fhaergus, the same probably would go for you. It's pretty sad if you think about it, I like the fact that you have no reason to keep being nice to me.", Caelan answered and shrugged his shoulders. He didn't talk to just about any girl either, when their was some form of gaze, then he tried, or Cameron brought her around. In that cases he checked the situation and let her off the hook eventually if needed, while their friend was occupied with Cameron. Though Caelan had to admit that it mostly worked in his favor if he just told them that they could leave, or just talk because they currently didn't have much else to do. "It's their tradition, but yes I guess. But so far all of Camerons siblings have survived that and also their getting sixteen tradition. Thus he has way too many siblings.", Caelan smiled. and Cameron was the youngest too. "We don't try to die. Hence I won't let you jump if you talk like that. But I guess you can join, but it will be cold and you have to sleep in a tent."

    • "So you're saying I'll be an icicle. Noted.", Ronan concluded, with a shrug of his shoulders that Caelan would not be able to spot like that - he was nothing more than overbearing and while he sometimes seemed to get the wrong idea about the stupidest of things, maybe it only followed that he found himself in quite a pickle when he summarized that no matter what, hell was empty and they were living in it - and he made it just a bit more endurable by dragging some sort of angel down with him. "Faint? Please, I'm not a damsel. It's not that bad." It really wasn't, even though there was a knot in his stomach and his vision felt sort of blurry, as well as the apparent taste of bile that rose at the back of his throat and-- he had to stop, right now, or his horse would throw him off and he'd be the only one that would be classified as dead meat, as simple as that. Truth be told, however, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that no matter what, he'd just try and try to be more like the person that he poured his heart out to. "For one year? You lay in bed maybe three days and then were nice enough to endulge my sleepiness, you can't just decide you're done with it for the next year, you clown!" They both were, in fact, clowns or rather court jesters and the sole mental image made Ronan chuckle. Caelan was good at making him have a better time than ever before.

      "I'm fine with this, I'd rather not slip on some ice in ... what did you say? SUMMER?" Fhaergus was ridiculous in many ways and while even the largest of peaks sported cold weather all year, and geology wasn't a hard subject to force into his skull, Ronan hated the fact that it had to be Fhaergus of all places, godforsaken and lonely for what felt like at least half of the year - he'd go insane if he had to spend that much time in Alster. What would he even have done if he'd gotten to know Caelan on the last damn day of summer, before Fhaergus passes closed up? Probably die mad about it, or cry himself out on Henrys shoulder without giving away too much information - it all seemed very like him, actually. "Caelan. As sad as that sounds, rest assured, I'm here to piss you off on purpose sometimes. What do I have to lose anyway? I know you won't hurt me and you aren't much of a snitch either, so though luck.", Ronan suddenly admitted - but it was the truth, the honesty that lay underneath and would continue to be there, to let him be who he was - he liked Caelan just as much as any girl would, yes, but he also knew that nothing were to come of it if he ever would desperately ask for his hand in marriage. "Seems like someone factored in that kids could die and then gave birth too a few too many lucky bastards ...", he mumbled to himself, before raising an eyebrow. "A tent is fine and I'm not trying to get myself killed, I'm just saying you two are apparently trying that every other year for fun. At least nothing ever happened ... right?"
      Looking back, it maybe is like the toy carts you rode when you were a kid. But those toy carts could never go beyond the walls of the lawn. We want to follow the rugged concrete road beyond the wall. As we've grown, we've decided to leave behind the toy cart.

    • "Good then. But you don't need to impress me. Never. If something is too much for you, or you need a break from something, you can just tell me.", Caelan answered over his shoulder and then thought about it once more. He didn't truly feel like he was pressuring Ronan too much, though there was one thing that bothered him, even though he was the one getting hurt in the end. "You know, it feels like I kind of forced you to take part in that tournament. I'm sorry if that's the case. Sometimes I have an idea and I want to make it happen. You can tell me no however." Sometimes he just got annoying, sometimes he asked people to do something over and over again instead of listening and sometimes he was asking stupid questions like why not over and over again, until the other person gave in. He wasn't going to be mad if Ronan told him he didn't want to do something, but maybe he was scared of that. In the end maybe Caelan even asserted himself too much during that dinner and made Ronans father angry by having to agree to a stupid idea the blonde had. He was just trying to look out for Ronan, but maybe he didn't do the best of jobs all the time. "In fact I can. I don't intend to lie in bed again until winter is over.", he then smiled. That was just wasted time, he rarely got sick anyway.

      "Well there is plenty of ice everywhere. But in the end it's not that bad, right?", Caelan laughed. They wouldn't die, right? Their horses would do a good enough job moving along the edge and that was it. "you're doing a bad job pissing me off, actually. It's fine. I know I can trust you when you say you like me, there is no reason for you to pretend, or is there? In any case you would go through a lot of trouble to bring me down if that was it and I don't believe you do.", he answered. There was no scheme and Ronan gained nothing from being with Caelan. It was dangerous for him as well, so Caelan was pretty confident that Ronans feelings were genuine. "That's true. Now Cameron is pretty much out of the game for inheriting Stenz. There has to happen a lot for him to get the throne there.", Caelan chuckled. "But I think he is very fine with that. He doesn't like the pressure." Caelan didn't either. "Not during jumping down there, no. But just so you know, you have to climb up the steep wall afterwards and it's pretty high. We usually have a rope around though... well we do now. The first time we jumped we didn't and climbing up a ten meter cliff or more without any support or safety line isn't too much fun, not even for us.", he admitted as they now left the narrow path and had one last climb ahead of them. It was just snow up a hill and by the looks of it, no one was here for quite some while, because the snow was untouched. There were no footprints, no horse came through here, it proved how hidden that hut actually was. At the top there was an old pretty much dead tree that just stood there and when they'd go up a little further, they could spot the roof of the hut very soon.

    • "I ... I will. Just know that I'm not going to give up and flee into your arms all that easily, though!", he clarified, as if Caelan had just called him some sort of sad, pathethic, weak person, which he hadn't at all. There was a certain amount of pride that was swelling in his chest, something that barred him from giving up and while he had been true to himself for a while, had told Caelan he'd rather give him all of what he was first before the vultures came to claim the barren remains of the small amounts of flesh that used both his own nerves and bones as soil to grow on, he wasn't so sure if he wanted to give anyone anything. What did one yearn for, once they had everything at the tip of their boot, as well as the premonition of brighter days at the back of their mind? Ronan wasn't sure, he'd never be, not as long as he lived - at least he thought of it that way - and while Caelan seemed to be his push in the right direction, his disembodied voice of reason in another form, he was not sure where any of that would lead. "Caelan, you're overthinking again, that's my job. I joined the tournament because you riled me up and I enjoyed it a great deal, thank you very much ... well, aside from the part where I cut open your face, but it'll fade out over time." Or not, and then he'd consider himself absolutely fucked. "I'll remind you of that once I find you with a cold in Fhaergus, just so you wait!" Ronan knew he'd have one first, but that was nothing he'd have to immediately concern himself with either way - once the cold crept up on him, it was already too late anyway and then Caelan could laugh at him all he wanted ... he'd never do that, though, right? "Caelan, why does Fhaergus have ice in summer? Sure, mountain peaks and Thria are an exception, but it isn't even that frigid in Alster!" Compared to Olette or Lavern, it was still cold - more akin to a spring breeze anyway - but even Alster thawed at some point, even when it happened later than it did at other places. Fhaergus, on the other hand, seemed as hopeless as its future heir was.

      It didn't take long for a black figure to pop up on the horizon - the closer the got, the more it looked like a misshaped, old and leafless tree - something that had somehow managed to prosper out here, just to eventually die off and still, it stood guard, right next to an old house that was the next to appear, not that far behind it. Why did it look like this? Ronan had no idea, he didn't even want to question it - he only knew that this part seemed to be as remote as it could get, that there didn't seem to be much of a trace of human life and in all honesty, he was just fine with that - fine with something that didn't lead him through a town first to stock up, but ... they'd make do out here anyway. "What you're saying is, this poor sap has to inherit Stenz if all of his siblings mysteriously die? How many does he even have?" Too many, probably and Ronan could only shake his head in confusion. Fighting Declan to the death was nothing he felt up to and the more he thought about something as silly as that, it became apparent that for one reason or the other, he'd rather not indulge in too much information about Caelans friends. "So you aren't the brightest, are you? At least you do learn from your mistakes ... but I can handle that." Until something like an apparent fear of heights kicked in. Ronan was sure that all of this was temporary, nothing was going to be going on forever and while the thought alone seemed somewhat delirious, he'd do just fine, right? It was something akin to climbing up an endless tree or trying to get out of a dry well, he'd manage that ... somehow, again. Time passed soon enough and the small figures at the horizon became bigger, more detailed and took more apparent forms and colors, until they actually reached their hideout for the day - and night - and Ronan eyed Caelan for a second. There it was, a dead tree accompanying an old hut and there had to be a key somewhere, right? Ronan didn't want to ask, he eyed different spots as he got off the horse, but eventually, when he could make nothing out, diverted his attention to the tree. As he walked over to it, he eyed a hole - just slightly too high up for him to not tiptoe, yet comfortably close for someone like Caelan. The half-wolf grumbled, felt inside and fished a key out, before he walked over to the door, put it in, turned it over and as he opened it up, was greated by a slight waft of dust, straight in his face. "Where do you even want to do the horses? And do we have enough wood for a fire?" Also, what's for dinner?, was something he didn't voice outloud, but his stomach did indicate that outloud for him.
      Looking back, it maybe is like the toy carts you rode when you were a kid. But those toy carts could never go beyond the walls of the lawn. We want to follow the rugged concrete road beyond the wall. As we've grown, we've decided to leave behind the toy cart.

    • "I didn't imply that. Just don't... take me as a standard. At least one of us should remain unhurt.", Caelan answered. He didn't want to drag Ronan of all people down with him, he didn't want him to aspire after someone stupid like him who always pushed himself to the limit, probably brushing closer to death than he should sometimes. And Ronan seemed easily influenceable too, which made Caelan worry even more. "Good then. I'm glad you enjoyed it. And don't worry about me.", Caelan smiled, even though Ronan told him he never wanted to use a sword ever again... Well he didn't have to. "A cold? I don't even know how old I was when I last had a cold!", Caelan started laughing. He didn't think that would happen. Some snow wouldn't make him sick. "Well on the mountain tops silly. There is not even snow in the valley, don't worry. Once we reached the hut we can go a little further to see the valley if you want.", he suggested with another smile. It was a nice sight from up here. Fhaergus wasn't all snow all the time.

      Eventually they reached their destination and Caelan directed Ronan to that dead tree so he could find the keys. "Remember the way and the position of the keys.", he grinned, though it wasn't hard to find them, but that was alright, no one came here or knew about this place anyway. "He has 9 brothers and a sister.", Caelan answered Ronans question while he got off his horse and immediately sunk almost knee deep in snow. "We were like... fourteen? And it wasn't that bad anyway.", Caelan defended himself, he wasn't stupid, was he now? Once Ronan found the keys and Caelan took a hold of both their horses he let him open up the hut. Yes it was a little bit dusty, but he hadn't been here for a while so it made sense, right? Nothing he could change. In the end he let Ronan hold the horses real quick to only walk a few steps inside and come out with two warm blankets that were probably oversized for humans. "They'll be fine with these, and there is a roof at the other side. Sum hay for them too.", he explained and then directed Ronan to follow him to the back where they could leave their horses for the night. "And yes, there is enough fire wood too. I told you I'm keeping this hut stacked, right?", he smiled and next to the place for the horses there was in fact a huge stack of firewood. They just needed to take some, though there was some inside already too. Ronans stomach was asking another question and Caelan chuckled, grabbing a bow that also had been stored back here, though in a little cupboard of sorts. "I'll go hunt us a rabbit, or maybe a hawk or eagle. Do you want to join me?"

    • "Knowing you, you'll stick to me when I get a cold and then you'll catch it from me, though!", Ronan suddenly insisted as if it were something true, as if he'd already seen everything Caelan could have possibly offered him or talked about, but he was fairly convinced that Caelan was - somehow - like a dog, which entailed that if he could find nobody to find them, he'd stay by his dying owners side, even if it were just a cold. The noble shook his head and could only snort at the thought - that wasn't it at all, was it now? It seemed absurd to say the least. "And for a second, I was convinced that Fhaergus was caked in snow and ice all year long. It seems that I have made a mistake ... and why are you calling me silly?", he inquired, Caelan had done that a few times and while Ronan didn't find it outrageous, it almost felt as if the blonde was outplaying him at his own game anyway. No matter what, however, none of this had much value to it, Ronan was certain od that and the assumption it - at some point - would weigh heavier on his mind than it had ever done was a silly one, too. Why would it, really? In the end, none of this was of importance either way. "Why? Do you want me to plop them back in there just like that when we leave? Caelan, I can't even reach the hole without tiptoeing", he complained.

      "Wait ... but those are half-siblings, right?", he suddenly asked, quite inquisitive. If they were, well, that only meant that the current Duke of Stenz was as much of a whore as his own son was and while he would never voice said opinion outloud, it almost felt as if he had found a connection between the two of them and was now wondering why it had been so easy too, after Caelan had said a singular sentence. "Young and stupid, huh?" Caelan had many stories to tell it seemed, yet he opted for someone that had barely any of his own - the few he actually had weren't interesting, didn't prove anything to anyone and if Ronan thought about it, he wondered if it even mattered in the first place. Ronan simply followed Caelans directions and once they reached where they wanted to be, he did eye the stack of firewood he found himself presented with - the blonde hadn't lied, which was not something Ronan would have expected of him either way, but then again, no matter what happened, it all culminated in something - who said that a situation like this couldn't turn into something unpleasant as fast as it had turned into something nice? He could only laugh at that thought alone. "So the horses will be fine and so will we ... that's reassuring. Actually, before we go for a hunt - I'd love to join you - can I light the fireplace so it'll be nice and cozy once we get back?", Ronan asked as he tied the horses headpieces to something so they wouldn't just run off. "I'd love to join you either way", he admitted, but he also knew he'd freeze his ass off out here - yet, he'd do everything for Caelan.
      Looking back, it maybe is like the toy carts you rode when you were a kid. But those toy carts could never go beyond the walls of the lawn. We want to follow the rugged concrete road beyond the wall. As we've grown, we've decided to leave behind the toy cart.

    • "Just because I'm around you doesn't mean I catch a cold too. Even if, we can cuddle it away together.", Caelan grinned knowing fully well that he'd not leave Ronan alone if he became sick. It was probably only a matter of time, he always seemed cold and thus Caelan wanted him to take his coat if he felt cold, instead of trying to act all tough. "Because you are being silly. I'm not living with the wolves you know? Though I guess I prefer Fhaergus winter over its summer." It was cold and colorless, but Caelan liked it cold and silent, especially when a layer of snow took all the noise away for some while. He liked it up here too, even in summer there was snow. "You grabbed the keys just fine and it's the place they always are. It's a good spot, so we'll put them back there. It won't be wiped away with snow, or get burried there.", Caelan answered. Ronan had no problem reaching in so there was no problem, right? He had to store the keys somewhere anyway. "Or do you have a better idea?"

      "Camerons father remarried after his first wife died.", Caelan nodded, but it didn't have any impact on who was going up for the throne, even if some of Camerons siblings died. "But it doesn't matter much there. They seldomly talk about any of that." At least not when Caelan was around and sometimes they had invited him to a big meal with all of them on one table and it was just a mess. None of them had much manners, Caelan liked it there. "Of course you can. Set up some water for boiling too, so you can take a hot bath faster once we come back.", Caelan smiled and then watched Ronan walk away while he put the blankets over the horses and pulled out some extra hay for them to eat. Then he searched for a second bow and some arrows. With those he got back around to the front door and already got rid of his coat. He greated Ronan with the bow and arrows and the coat, once he came back out too. "You're taking it now. ou're not here to be sick in bed for a week and you're already cold. We'll get wet out here for sure, so take it."

      Dieser Beitrag wurde bereits 1 mal editiert, zuletzt von Earinor ()

    • "Only if you hold me all night long!", Ronan insisted, soon giggling about it. Caelan did wonders to his generally horrible mood, but even the realization that they were away from Alster sufficed. Maybe he'd really come out here more often, write the blonde a letter in advance to meet him there and then just enjoy what he could. In fact, he was happy they were here right now and he wouldn't want it any other way - if Caelans parents wouldn't insist on seeing their son after weeks of absence, he'd probably proposed the two of them stock up and stay where they were. Obviously, this was not going to happen, but one could dream like never before. "Eugh, you are not living with them but you might as well be one!" Caelan made it sound like he'd even survive the coldest of temperatures and Ronan was painfully convinced that, no matter what, he wouldn't, he'd grow sick and shrivel up like a raisin, then he'd die and it would be as if he'd never lived because Caelan wasn't there to tell the tale, his parents scratched his name and face from the family tree and he'd wonder what had led to this in the first place. His love for a man or the fact that he was born under a dying star? "A better idea? Hm, no, not really. There's not much to hide it out here anyway, but it seems like the obvious choice ... why not short it and wear it as a necklace, though?" The key was a bit too long to put it on a necklace.

      "Ah, yikes", he said, pressing air out of his lungs and sharply inhaling it back in as if his decision to shittalk Cameron and parts of Caelans found family had just miserably backfired. That had to feel like shit, losing a mother, didn't it? What did he know, the only one he'd lost was a grandfather he barely knew, a grandmother that blabbered nonsense to a child and his actual father, despite not being anywhere near him, was alive and kicking somewhere. "So no hard topics, huh? What do they even do when, uhm, you know, a kid dies during their coming of age-thing?" Thrians had one too, but if he remembered correctly, he was just a year short of being illegible for it and even then, not all of them did it still, right? It was deeply rooted in beliefs of olden times, no longer recognized or practiced and the actual thought of it was quite bewildering - instead, however, he did grab some wood and went to work, getting the fireplace to exude the smallest of flames soon after and dragging some snow in after that, to get it all heated up in pot he'd procured from somewhere else in the hut. It was dusty. And there was quite a lot of fur, though ... did Caelan hunt all of these? Maybe he had, Ronan wasn't sure, he didn't want to ask and instead, once he'd gotten everything in order, he went back outside, watching a puff of smoke - coming from his lips - disappear into thin air. It was cold out here. His eyes lay on the bow and the arrow, then the coat he was offered alongside it - he grumbled, annoyed and if looks could kill, the one he gave Caelan was probably a close call. "I'll only put it on if we can share the bath", he insisted, but he waited for no answer. It was warm, incredibly so and it felt nice, even if it was anything but a snug fit - it was loose on all sides and it definitely showed just how much taller Caelan was, but Ronan didn't care, not when he brought one of the sleeves up to his face and did smell on it - it stupidly smelled like Caelan, something he hadn't missed, but he really liked. "This is nice actually", he admitted.
      Looking back, it maybe is like the toy carts you rode when you were a kid. But those toy carts could never go beyond the walls of the lawn. We want to follow the rugged concrete road beyond the wall. As we've grown, we've decided to leave behind the toy cart.

    • "I'm doing that anyway.", Caelan replied and watched Ronan giggle. He actually seemed quite happy most of the time they saw each other. Ver different from the young noble he met by the lake that was looking at the blonde as if he was going to murder him in cold blood. Caelan knew that Ronan didn't have an easy life at home, but that was exactly why he dragged him on a vacation now. He'd have nohting to worry about in Fhaergus, that much was clear. "Me? A wolf? Have you looked at me?", Caelan asked laughing. "Have you ever heard of a wolf with blonde hair and blue eyes?" No wolves usually had dark hair, mostly black and they also had dark eyes, Caelan was quite the opposite except not freezing his butt off because of a little snow. "If any of us was a wolf it would be you!", he joked, because with his long dark hair and the equally as dark eyes Ronan was the one that wouldn't stand out between some wolves. "I don't mind if you want to make a necklace out of it, but I need a key too, you know? Obvious doesn't matter though, no one knows this hut exists in the first place."

      "Well so far no one died, but I guess they are sad? But for them that just means that this child wasn't strong enough for this world and that it wasn't blessed. I probably shouldn't say this out loud, but besides our gods they have some others there they still worship, at least as much as to keep those rituals around. But there is no rule that prevents you from preparing your child to be able to swim at a very young age and once you travel to sea with fifteen you can take someone with you. That doesn't have to be your noble friend from Fhaergus, Cameron could have taken his father instead and he definitely knows how to navigate a storm.", Caelan explained. In different times a lot more people died probably, but that wasn't what anyone wanted in the first place. Caelan kept up his smile as always, even when Ronan knitted his brows a little, eyeing that coat he was offered. He still took it and put it on. "But I wanted to cook you somethign while you warm up!", Caelan confessed, but he could still join Ronan. He had a lot more planned though. "I know it is!", Caelan then grinned as if he had won something, then he handed Ronan bow and arrow and directed him in one direction. "I want to show you my home from up here, it's not far. Maybe we find something to hunt on the way or afterwards. It doesn't really matter.", Caelan explained and went ahead. There was a lot of snow up here, especially when there was some form of little valley, Caelan himself had no problem with it, as much as he didn't mind some tiny climbing up some big rock. He still offered his help. "If the snow get's too deep for you, just walk in my tracks."

    • “Fuck, you are right.” They had shared Caelans bed in the guest wing too many times, something that Ronan was fairly aware of and something that probably didn’t seem like much of a secret anymore, at least not to an observant maid or butler that was supposed to get the young lord out of bed in the morning, only to find it cold, empty and pretty much unused. His paperwork had also moved from said room to Caelans and it was - all in all - odd enough, that nobody had called them out on it. “Yes, Caelan. In fact, I’ve looked at you for quite some time and figured quite a few things out just by looking at your face. Mainly that you tend to grin and laugh a lot, that you have a nice face and beautiful eyes. Anything else? And aside from that, I’ve not only looked at you, I’ve touched you, too, you know?”, Ronan remarked. They had done more than some touching, but none of that was relevant to the conversation, even when the blonde made him stop in his tracks. Was it that apparent that he’d pass as a wolf? Gods be damned, he already doubted that he passed for a fully-fledged adrestian person, yet, Caelan just put a nail into the coffin that he was so close to prying open either way. “Me, a wolf? Caelan, you already made better jokes. Aren’t wolves supposed to be imposing and sort of menacing? I’m barely one of those!”

      Aside from the teeth and the stare that, if it could kill people, it would have murdered most of Alster and some more, there was nothing that Ronan would describe as inherently wolfish about his. His hair was dark, it could theoretically be darker than that, but it was enough to raise some suspicions anyway - and the amber eyes that seemed to be so apparent in the bloodline of Alsters heirs was also something that differentiate him from the ordinary wolf, blood aside. “Not a necklace for me, for you. Though, now that I say it out loud, I’m sure you won’t wear it.” That much was true, Caelan didn’t seem one to fancy unnecessary, obstructing things that would only get in his way as they were. Why would someone wear a necklace either way? Ronan didn’t know, he took the bow and arrows he was offered and started following the blonde instead. He wasn’t all that tiny anyway! “So they are just bound by tradition? That’s up to them, then. I’m glad we don’t have something like that.” Alster had a few holidays and festivals that others wouldn’t celebrate around Adrestia, but that was it - it was just a normal day like any other and the times that he’d went somewhere in the last year or two were low, so low in fact that he probably wasn’t even that well-known among others, or someone would believe he’d died years ago. When would his parents get condolences for that anyway? “Your home? So you’re telling me we’re so far up, we can look down on Fhaergus town and your families estate?” That sounded surprisingly far from home, but Alster was larger than Fhaergus, by far, and it wasn’t just snow all year around, either. “Like hell I will! I’m not a little kid, you know!”, he spouted, yet he didn’t exactly go out of his way to avoid Caelans steps either.
      Looking back, it maybe is like the toy carts you rode when you were a kid. But those toy carts could never go beyond the walls of the lawn. We want to follow the rugged concrete road beyond the wall. As we've grown, we've decided to leave behind the toy cart.

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