Post #2459606 in Where Have You Been, a roleplay on RPG

“I’m afraid not. I was lucky enough whenever I got outside the castle really. My father… the king was a very strict and somewhat harsh man who wanted nothing for me but to gain him favor with other kingdoms, in return I was somewhat of a prisoner at my own home.” Alissa paused and Tannin just continued to listen to her. She obviously wanted to get something off of her chest. “don’t get me wrong, there were times in which I could leave the castle. Whenever and as long as I was accompanied with Alexander…” This time she was silent for some time and Tannin was unsure as to why. “He’s my father’s choice for my ‘husband-to-be’ but that’s just another word for his attempt to gain more favor in the kingdoms.”

Tannin remained silent, going over what Alissa had just said to him. He'd been silent long enough for Alissa to offer him one of the bowls that he'd just realized that she was holding. “Anyways, I had not eaten yet as I was waiting for you to wake up. I promise it’s not poisoned.” Tannin smiled at the princess and took the bowl. He thanked her and then began slowly eating. Only after a few bites, the assassin spoke. "Axijan is where I am from and I've no doubt that you'll soon be able to tell by just listening to me speak. Our accent is one of the more unique in the world..or so I've heard. I've lived there most of my life. It is not magnificent like your city but you'll never find a more peaceful place." He fell silent for a moment before speaking once again. "I find it..odd..that your father would choose your husband for you. That practice has not been in effect in the out realms for quite a long time. I do not believe that such a important matter should be decided by anyone other than the party that it directly affects. However, my opinion matters little I'm afraid."

He did feel terribly for Alissa. He could only imagine being told that he had to marry a certain person. That he would have no choice in the matter. Of course..he doubted that there was anyone in this world that would ever want to be with him. He was a murderer..a cruel person that looked the part on the outside. He was actually surprised that Alissa was as kind with him as she was. It just didn't make sense to him. He wanted badly to ask her the reason behind it..but something kept him from speaking the words. The meal was finished quickly and Tannin slowly handed the bowl back to Alissa when she was finished as well. He then gently laid back down. His eyes found Alissa's once again. "You should get some rest as well. It'll only get colder as it gets darker outside so it'd be best to go ahead and try to get warm. I want to leave as early as possible tomorrow. I do not think the snow is going to let up and that'll only slow us down the longer we are out in the wilds."

With that, Tannin closed his eyes once again and tried to force himself to relax. He was unable to but he did slowly fall into another light slumber. He could hear all of the noises around him. He was actually glad of it. Those noises meant that they were safe..that he had nothing to worry about.

Three Days Later

The snow storm that had hit three nights earlier had slowed them down by a day. Tannin had worried that this would happen. However, they were now off of the mountain and were making their through the Delmian Forest. The woods that surrounded them went all along the mountain base. It was thick and dense, having only a few well traveled trails that led the way out. It was easy to become lost in the Delmian if one did not know the area. It was wet and damp within the forest, much warmer than the surrounding area. Since the trees were so tightly knit together, there was little snow near the floor..all of it having stayed upon the tree tops.

Over the past few days, Tannin had found his shoulder and head feeling better and better. However, he knew that he was still not completely healed. "We should be there within the next two hours." he said softly to Alissa. He was now the one leading Daeroch though he was still not using his injured arm. They'd been traveling much faster since they'd entered into the Forest the afternoon before. Tannin was glad. It was only a matter of time before Verrengar began worrying. If that happened before they arrived at the Guild, then his second would begin to send out scouts in search for him. He tried to push the thought from his mind. They would arrive in plenty of time. As if sensing his master's sense of urgency, Daeroch sped up.

As they continued to ride, Tannin tried not to think about the feel of the princess that was between his arms. He needed to concentrate so as to not fall from the horse. The trees around them seemed to pass by with the speed of a bird. Good. They were quickly making up the time that they'd lost during the storm. Things were beginning to look up. "You are not worried about staying in a place riddled with murderers and thieves?" he asked Alissa at length. He hoped that she'd not minded his silence. He was terrible about doing that. He was not used to traveling with others.

At last, Tannin could see the end of the Forest. To say that he was relieved would be an understatement. He was glad to finally be home. When they exited the Forest, Tannin slowed Daeroch down to a trot. The ground was still covered in snow and it was obvious that it had snowed since they'd entered into the Delmian. Daeroch disturbed the laying snow as they entered into the village of Axijan. It was around late afternoon when they arrived. As such, the streets were lined with many people trying to either get home or to finish up whatever errands they had for the day. Tannin slowed daeroch further, forcing him into a fast walk. Unlike in Oakenshire, the people of Axijan did not seem bothered at all by the presence of the assassin. In fact, they acted as if it was completely normal to see such a person riding through the village. Even a few of the children that they passed waved to them. It was very much different the closer you got to Silanos, where the King's hand still held firmly.

It didn't take them long to make their way through the village, only about ten or fifteen minutes. They then reached the outskirts of the village. Tannin didn't need to lead Daeroch, the horse knew exactly where they were going. They soon came upon a large sized stable that was owned by the Guild. The main door was open and so the large black horse made his way inside. Inside the large building, there were not many stalls that were unoccupied. However, that was a rarity. Normally, most of the members of the Guild were out on jobs. No doubt Verrengar had not been doing everything that he should have in Tannin's absence.

The continued through the barn until they reach a slightly larger stall located at the very end. Above the entrance to the stall, a wooden plaque was nailed with Daeroch's name etched into it. The horse stopped, waiting for his master to remove the rope so that he could enter. Tannin slid from the horse and then helped Alissa down. Before they were able to do anything else, a stable hand approached them. The young teen appeared to be no older than fourteen or fifteen and wasn't well kept. A poor child that was employed by the Guild though his money most likely went to help his struggling family. The boy bowed to the two adults before taking Daeroch's reins and leading the horse into his stall.

"Come. He'll take care of Daeroch. We need to get to the closest entrance to the Guild. I'm sure that you'd like some time to rest before dinner." Tannin led the way out of the large stable and out into the small snow covered street. He walked quickly, not wanting to be out any longer than necessary. After only a few more minutes they reached a secluded house that was by itself. It was obvious that the house had not received any sort of love for a very long time..however there was a almost homey feel to it. As they slowly approached, Tannin spoke to Alissa, his gaze flicking to her for a moment. "This is the home that once belonged to a witch..or so the legend goes. There are very few that dare come out this far. It doesn't help that it falls into the Delmian nor the rumors that have been spread about it being haunted. However, it couldn't be a more safer place."

Tannin knew that Alissa was most likely thinking that the house was the hideout, however, it was merely a facade. They reached the door and Tannin rapped upon the door three times, paused, and then twice more. A few short moments went by before the door opened and a man dressed in browns and blacks answered, allowing Tannin and Alissa to enter. The Guild Master led the way through the house, entering into the kitchen. At the medium sized table sat a family, eating. Upon seeing Tannin, all of them began to get up. Tannin, however held a hand out. "Do not get up on my account. We are merely passing through. M'lady, this is the Waleys. They live here. I gifted them this home in exchange for their silence and loyalty to the Guild. They are well taken care of in return."

They remained there for only a few moments longer before bidding the family goodbye. Tannin then proceeded to lead the way to a door that led down to the basement. He opened the door and went through, making sure that Alissa was close behind him. The door shut behind them, leaving the couple in near darkness, their only light coming from a few small torches that lined the wall. Tannin gently took Alissa's hand, leading her down the steps. He warned her to be careful. When, at last, they reached the bottom, Tannin released her but continued walking. The basement of the Waleys' house was different than most. At first, it was a large open room filled with barrels and other junk but there was a large tapestry hanging in the middle of the far wall. The crest that was upon it was that of the de La Roches. Tannin had no doubt that Alissa would note that immediately.

When they reached it, he moved it slightly to reveal a worn wooden door behind it. He opened it and allowed Alissa to enter first. He then followed, making sure that the tapestry was as it had been. He then turned to eye the princess. They were now in a long, stone tunnel. The only light was from the large torches that lined the wall though they did not give off much light. He led the way, being silent. After no more than five minutes, the pair reached the end of the tunnel. Two guards stood at attention, bowing as they saw Tannin. The door that the guards watched was ominous. It was dark and the symbols that were carved into it were meant to ward off any intruders. One of the guards opened the door, allowing the pair to continue on.

When they went through, they walked a short ways longer before coming to a sudden drop off. Tannin made sure that Alissa stopped when he did. He didn't need her falling to her death. "From here, we go down." he said, moving away from the princess for a moment. A arm's length away from where the ground disappeared, there was a old looking pulley system. Tannin took hold of the wet rope and pulled it towards his body. There was a loop tied into the rope near Tannin's foot. He inserted his right foot into it, making sure that it was secure and then wrapped his right hand in the rope near his head. He then turned his gaze to Alissa. "I'm afraid this is the only way down. Come."

He waited for a moment before sensing her hesitation. If he had to guess, it had something to do with the fact that they'd be jumping into a large pit of darkness and only having a rusty contraption keeping them from falling to their death. "Alissa, it is perfectly safe. You have trusted me this far..and this is the moment you decide to question me?" he smiled at her though he doubted that she could see it as his face and head were covered as they normally were. "I promised that I'd let nothing happen to you and I meant that. I won't let you fall."

When the princess finally decided that he was indeed not going to allow her to fall, Tannin wrapped his free arm around her middle tightly, pulling her close to his firm body. He instructed her to keep her arms around his neck..to not let go. "We'll go on five?" he asked, hoping that she would agree to that. However he only made it to three before jumped off of the ledge, plunging them into darkness.

The darkness seemed to go on for forever as they flew downwards. Tannin held tightly onto the rope and to Alissa. Tannin had lived in the hideout for half of his life. He was not bothered in the slightest using the aged mechanism that could at any moment seemingly fail. Slowly, as they continued their descent, the darkness began to slowly fade away. After another minute of falling, their speed began to slow down until they at last came to a stop. Tannin gently released Alissa and he turned his gaze to her. "That wasn't so bad..was it?" he asked, releasing himself from the ropes. He then approached the princess. For the moment, they were alone. They were in another hallway though this one was obviously not as long as the one they'd been in earlier. It was easy to see the exit from where they were standing.

Tannin allowed Alissa a moment to gather herself. He imagined that being forced to jump into the unknown was rather frightening. After a few short moments, he spoke again. "Are you ready?" he asked, not intending to force her to leave the serenity of the hall. After another few moments Tannin began walking down the hall. He merely looked behind him a few times to make sure that Alissa was following him. "Stay close. You wouldn't want to get lost." he said, smiling. As they reached the end of the hallway, the floor turned into steps that lead down into the main part of the Hideout. The main room was merely a giant circle, in the center a large space that was currently being used for sparing. There was a pair in the center, a male and a female, going at each other. They were surrounded by many others, cheering and having a good time.

This room was more showy than the rest of the hideout. It was decorated in tapestries that held the Guilds' emblem and beautiful ribbons of reds, golds, and blacks. As they made their way down the steps, he spoke. "This is where we hold any celebrations or gatherings. For the most part it is used to allow everyone the chance to practice..to hone their skills." Looking about the room, Tannin could also see the weapon racks sitting around the lower part of the room, just a floor above the sparing ring.

Tannin led the way around the outer part of the room and then went up another small set of steps. They were now walking along a large walkway, passing a few members. They would always get out of the way and then bow to them before continuing on their way. They were only halfway across the path before a man walked in front of Tannin and Alissa. "Ah! Guild Master! I was beginning to worry for you. It isn't like you to take so long to return to us." Tannin stopped walking, eyeing Verrengar closely. "Verrengar, I assure you that the delay was not foreseen."

The other man suddenly noticed Alissa. His gaze locked onto her. "I'm afraid we've not met. I'm Verrengar, second to Tannin. It is a pleasure to meet you." Tannin watched the two closely from the corner of his eye. He could easily see that his friend was trying to impress Alissa with his titles. As Verrengar was going into detail upon how he'd become second in command, Tannin began walking once again. He didn't bother saying anything. Verrengar just kept talking and Tannin wondered if Alissa would follow him. He wasn't quite sure but for some reason he'd not liked the other man eyeing Alissa the way he had been. He tried to push the thought from his mind. He had quite a bit to do now that they'd arrived at the Guild. He was not walking that fast in hopes that Alissa would see through Verrengar's attempt at wooing her and would join him quickly. He'd not even made it to the end of the walkway yet. He needed to get down to his office and chambers and then there was the matter of getting a room set up for Alissa. He also needed to find Litania. If he knew his apprentice, she was most likely causing some sort of trouble. However, Verrengar hadn't mentioned her so perhaps for once she was doing as she should.

Snippet #2459606

located in Irisu, a part of Where Have You Been, one of the many universes on RPG.

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