The Princess and the Blade

[Soran Nightblade]

He released her, somewhat unwillingly, and stretched in the chair. His gaze drifted to the sword lying on the chaise across from him, and the embossed scabbard protecting it. Or perhaps caging it. Or both. Maybe that was what home was.

He thought back to what Tenara had said, about missing the small house in the woods. It hadn't been 'safe,' and it wasn't 'home.' It had been full of danger and worrisome uncertainty. Not knowing who to trust, or how to respond. "Thank you," he mumbled without context, dozing off with his forehead slumped to the chair wing.

[Emora Deen]

Tenara turned back to look at Havitharon, as she was halfway through dragging a cotton shift over her head. She finished pulling it on, her gaze sweeping him curiously, trying to imagine what he was thanking her for. She smiled when she noticed he was sleeping. She padded back to him, trying to figure out how she could possibly get him into bed. Even if he was a normal human-sized man, she'd find it difficult to lift and drag him without waking him.

Instead, she grabbed one of the blankets from her bed and dragged it to him, tucking it around his shoulders. She brushed the hair from his face, tucking it behind one of his ears. Her fingers trailed to one of his horns, sweeping lightly across the gold band that marked her connection to him. Hers. He was hers. But she didn't want him as a servant. She wanted him as...

Tenara frowned. She bent forward and pressed a kiss to his temple, and then retreated to her bed. It felt oddly lonely to climb into it, to be so far from him. She slept near the place in the mattress where his horns had carved holes. She hugged one of the pillows he'd used to her, feeling silly even as she did it.

What did she want him to be?

[Soran Nightblade]

Havi's consciousness drifted back to him sometime before dawn. He lifted his head slowly from the chair and took in his surroundings. It wasn't normal for him to fall asleep in such an exposed position. He unwound a bit when he sighted Tenara on the bed a few yards away from him. He leaned forward to stretch his stiff muscles, and a blanket slid to pool in his lap. He took another moment to register what it was and why it would be on him. For what might have been the hundredth time, he wondered if all this was truly real. He rose from the chair and walked to her bedside. Tenara's chest rose and fell gently in her sleep, her moonlight hair messy and beautiful around her face. His examination also revealed that she was clutching his pillow against her side. Since she'd mostly rolled onto the side where he normally rested with her, he crossed to the other side of the bed and slid in stealthily behind her, his warm chest flush to her back. He pressed his face lightly into her hair and breathed her in peacefully. "Are you awake?" he asked softly, his fingers ghosting over her skin.

[Emora Deen]

Tenara made a soft sound as Havi slid into bed and pressed against her back. She was only a smidge awake until the sound of his deep voice drifted into her ear. She was slow to reply, partially believing she'd dreamed the words, but just in case she replied, "Mmmhmm." Her arm unclutched his pillow and her hand slid up to the arm curled over her, gently tracing a line down the muscle. "Awake..."

[Soran Nightblade]

"I'm supposed to be your guard, you know," he murmured into her hair, a smile slipping into his voice. "What kind of guard gets tucked in by his ward?" His arm settled over her lightly.

[Emora Deen]

Tenara smiled, pressing back against him, a reverse hug. "A sleepy guard," she whispered. A minute later she patted his arm and said, "We're safe here. It's okay to get tucked in. Sometimes a guard can let down his guard."

[Soran Nightblade]

"Your world is very strange," he declared, even as he melted against her.

THOMP!

Havi's cuddly mood was drawn abruptly short as something very large pounded very hard on the door to Tenara's quarters. Havi wrenched upright, his muscles tensing. "Who's there?" he demanded.

The only response was another heavy slam, followed by what sounded like enormous claws tearing at the wood.

[Emora Deen]

Tenara's brow furrowed. That sounded... familiar. She drew herself out of bed, stumbling sleepily to the door, shoving silver hair from her face and rubbing her eyes. Tenara reached for the handle and pulled the door open.

[Soran Nightblade]

As soon as the door gave way, the enormous creature on the other side crashed inward. It stumbled for a moment as its claws lost traction on the smooth floor, then regrouped and pounced on Tenara, demon eyes glowing with very un-hellhound-like excitement. Stalker's long tongue pummeled her cheek like damp sandpaper.

Havi scrambled off the bed, in shock that such a thing was loose in the palace and pinning his Yurivis to the floor. He didn't have time to evaluate his opponent; he would just attack and figure out its abilities as he went.

[Emora Deen]

Tenara laughed at the feel of Stalker's wet tongue slobbering up her face. "I was wondering where you were! Where have you been hiding your overgrown wolf? Did you have a time out again? Bite someone you shouldn't have?" She drug her fingers through the fur around his neck, scratching vigorously. "Okay! Okay. I missed you too. Off. Off."

[Soran Nightblade]

Stalker sneezed disobediently and leaned into her with the shoulder she was was no longer scritching. He flopped over on top of her like a dog rolling in grass.

"Tenara, do you need help?" Havi demanded, no longer sure she was being attacked.

At the sound of his voice, Stalker went still. The hellhound's eyes settled on the stranger like feral rubies.

Havi's stance returned the challenge, both of them an instant from launching at each other.

[Emora Deen]

Tenara patted Stalker, finding it hard to breath with him stretched across her. "Be good to him," she said soft and tight to the hellhound. "He's my..." Again, there was that strange hesitation. What was he? Lover? Yes. But... it didn't feel like the right word. Ivis? Yes. But what did that mean, really? "He's special to me." She patted Stalker's head. "Be nice..." Though, telling Stalker not to bite someone and him actually listening could be difficult.

[Soran Nightblade]

Stalker released his death-stare on Havi to look back at Tenara. The corner of his lip lifted from his teeth slightly, marking the creature's uncertainty.

"That is an ally?" Havi asked warily, still looking ready to throw down.

[Emora Deen]

Tenara laughed. "Yes, ally. A pet, really. He's my dog. I mean, he's not a dog. He's a hellhound, but he's basically my dog." She patted Stalker's head. "Right, boy? Are you a doggy? You're a good doggy. You're not going to take a chunk out of my extremely attractive and unusual male friend here, right?" Tenara shoved at the hellhound to try and get him off. "Go sniff him, Stalker, and make friends. Havi is here for good, so get used to him."

[Soran Nightblade]

The hellhound side-eyed Havi for several moments before snubbing him completely. He leaned his chin heavily on Tenara's chest, blocking her from moving.

Havi walked slowly to Tenara's other side and knelt across from the "dog" the size of a pony. Stalker's red eyes rolled up to meet his. The aggression from a moment before seemed bridled, but it was nearly impossible to read the beast's gaze. "Did you worry about her?" Havitharon asked the beast. "She was missing a long time."

Stalker closed both neon eyes, staying firmly across Tenara's chest.