Their Hearts' Desire {Closed}

korr.a · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **korr.a** on Sun Apr 15, 2012 10:24 pm

When the small crowd began to gather, Merek ended up backing into Agnes again rather clumsily, a far cry from his sharp dealings with the gypsy. He was used to this treatment but not from questionable people like those gathering about him now. It was a difficult thing indeed to try to stifle the impulse to spin about and bury his face amidst the leather saddle and bags over Agnes's back. To do so would be a childish thing and the prince was determined not to seem any more incompetent to the knight than he had already made himself out to be. But the impulse was too great. He managed to turn slowly and faced his horse, away from all the faces. Once this was done, the crowd thinned one by one as if the spell that held them there had been broken.

"Good woman?" the gypsy repeated to herself with a short laugh. It seemed a joke known only to her yet its meaning was quite apparent. This common title for any one woman did not exactly apply very well to her. Rather, it showed the knight's traditional speech. These two, whoever they were, they must have been brought here for quite an interesting reason. Her hands remained on her hips yet her posture was relaxed. She was not irritated any longer, now her mood had lapsed into something like amusement. This was only more evident on her lips, were a slight smirk hung as her eyes finally shifted from Merek and back to the knight.

"Amice?" she said loudly. "It would not be in my good favor do help you at all then. Even the people in this godforsaken heap of a city know to avoid her. Yet..." she trailed, her amusement returning again, "I am curious about this so I will humor you both for the time being." She cast a knowing glance at Merek, one he returned with a scowl. Even so, the woman now motioned for the two to follow after her and so she sauntered up the street.

The gypsy wove, dirty street through dirty street until she came upon a small wooden house nestled in the city. Somehow, it was quieter in this spot. Lanterns swung from the awning, all connected by twists of brambles with little stones entwined. Colored smoke drifted from one of the half open windows and it carried a strangely bitter scent with it. The most odd thing about the place, however, was the absence of a door. Instead, a length of heavy fabric hung in the door-frame. The woman glanced over her shoulder before she ventured in.

Merek tied Agnes to a post just outside and stood with her a moment, reluctant to go inside the gypsy's house. He felt as if he were about to willingly crawl into a spider's web. To say he felt uneasy would be a gross understatement but there wasn't much choice as far as what to do, so he ventured in.

The inside was similar to the outside. Lit lanterns hung everywhere and expensive-looking fabric was draped over nearly every available piece of furniture. Apparently, there was nothing more to the place than this single room and one beyond it. The gypsy ventured from the far room now, back into the one in which Merek stood. She gave him the same knowing look as before and he was beginning to understand what it meant. The prince tugged at his collar absently, wondering why it was suddenly warm and much less comfortable inside this house. There was the impending feeling that he was going to have another reason to dislike Cannore.

She spread her arms, gesturing for her guests to sit across from her at the table in the middle of the room. She looked from one to the other, "Elaborate about this story with the witch."

Sirius Baren · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Sirius Baren** on Sun Apr 15, 2012 10:49 pm

Kai watched as Merek turned towards his horse. She raised her brow as the crowd seemed to have snapped from an enchantment and began to thin and disperse until it left only the two traveler's and gypsy standing along in the street. Kai stifled the irritation as the gypsy laughed at her. Kai supposed "good" wasn't the best choice of words with which to address the woman.

The gypsy went on to explain how she wasn't keen on crossing the infamous witch. Kai created a tight fist with her free hand by her side. There was no time to dally. This woman needed to help them. Kai wasn't eager to stay long in Cannore and she certainly wasn't enthusiastic on knocking on the other doors for information.

Good fortune seemed to be on their side for the time being as the gypsy agreed to at least hear their story out. Kai followed after the woman without trepidation through the filthy streets. She could feel the discomfort roll off in waves from Merek without even looking his way. This was certainly the sort of place he wasn't used to and Kai wondered how long he could keep a straight face.

They finally arrived at a small structure that had quite a bit more color than the rest of the town. Kai coughed slightly as the pungent fumes reached her nose. She wasn't sure if it was incense or scented oils, but it almost burned the inside of her nose. It was a powerful smell and Kai wondered why it bothered her so much.

As Kai tied Goliath next to where Merek tied Agnes, she realized that Merek wasn't as uncomfortable with the smell as she was. She also noticed how the horses didn't seem to be bothered much by the stench.

Once inside of the dwelling Kai realized what the fumes were. They were meant to drive other women away. It was a rather popular item for women who were suspicious of their husbands. All one had to do was burn the incense in the home and it would drive all other women away.

After Kai was able to discover what it was, she had an easier time ignoring the powerful smell and focusing on her surroundings as the gypsy came back to the front and asked about there story.

"I must implore you to put your incense out first," Kai pleaded before she plunged into the story when she saw Merek wasn't so eager on sharing the details.

"I was minding my own business when Merek," she jabbed a finger at the prince, "ran into me. He had stolen Amice's property and it was crushed between us." Kai faltered for a moment as she remembered her vision.

"Amice swore a curse upon our heads if we couldn't replace what he had stolen. A curse isn't something to take lightly, so she directed us this way that we may find a replacement for what was destroyed." Kai explained not realizing that a small vial had survived. "I'm not sure if you know it, but it's called Dream Dust, and Amice said it reveals truth." Kai was hesitant to divulge so much information, but it was critical that she did.

korr.a · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **korr.a** on Sun Apr 15, 2012 11:20 pm

"Fine, fine." the gypsy sighed and threw aside an overly tasseled cushion as she made her way to the window. The woman's delicately shaped nose crinkled immediately and she sneezed once she was close to the burning incense. Covering her nose with one hand, she took the short, foul smelling sticks and let them drop in a basin of water nearby. Here, they broke into ashes and the smell was gone in the very next moment. The woman returned to her seat.

Watching all this, Merek felt as if he was missing something integral. The smell of the incense hadn't bothered him in the least, even after he'd come into the house where the smell was stronger. However, it bothered the knight a great deal and it bothered the gypsy when she'd come closer to it even though he expected she used that kind of incense often. Vaguely, he remembered something. It was just a snip of a thought. Something about incense and women. Trying to remember, he glanced at his traveling companion, not paying a bit of attention to what was being said. Initially, he'd felt the knight looked just a little odd in his facial structure. As rough as the knight seemed to be in general, the line of the face was quite nearly like a woman's. But no, Merek tried to dismiss this thought as impossible though it stuck in the back of his mind.

"She is right about what that dust reveals." the gypsy said. "It is a very coveted thing in Cannore, for truth is power as they say. There's only one person who finds it often enough. And they say he sells it for impossible prices." Here, the young woman suddenly stopped her story and rested her chin atop her entwined fingers.

"Well," Merek prompted, "where is this man? We do not have time to trifle with you."

"This is important information," she insisted. "I won't speak another word unless either of you have something to offer in exchange." Again, she looked from one to the other. Yet, her eyes lingered on the prince much too long for his liking.

Merek shifted where he sat. What she wanted, he couldn't imagine. "What is it?" he didn't care that his tone sounded unquestionably rude.

"I think a kiss will do." she declared simply and laughed as if she were a young girl.

"For all your tricks, you might as well be a harpy," Merek commented, folding his arms. "I refuse."

The woman rose from her seat with a simple smile on her face and looked at Kai. "You are dealing with Amice and you will find no one else in this city who is willing to help," she said. "You might tell your noble friend to reconsider."

Sirius Baren · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Sirius Baren** on Sun Apr 15, 2012 11:41 pm

At once Kai was given relief from the incense as the gypsy took the sticks and tossed them in a basin of water. The scent still lingered but the effects were lessened. Kai could feel the headache start to ebb away and she visibly relaxed as the gypsy came back to where she had previously sat.

Kai glanced over at Merek as he asked where the man was. Kai understood how something so precious could be coveted. She felt a yearning inside of her to return to the place from her vision. She felt as though something important was waiting for her there. There was a space inside of her completely empty. When she turned her eyes back to Merek as the gypsy gave her condition, Kai felt a tingle in her hand.

The moment it came it vanished and Kai was left feeling hollow once more. She gritted her teeth as Merek rudely refused the woman. Even in a gypsy's home, Merek still didn't understand the situation he was in or how dire it was. Kai wanted to smack him upside the head and knock some sense into him. He had lived so long in the palace that he didn't understand how the real world worked. Everything always came at a price outside of the palace walls. Out here, the prince couldn't snap his fingers for what he wanted.

"Reconsider Merek." Kai said. "I don't doubt she knows exactly where the man is. The sooner we move on, the sooner we can be done." There was an undertone of urgency in her voice that hadn't been there before.

Kai stepped closer to Merek and had to tilt her head slightly as he was a couple inches taller then her. The lines in her face smoothed over at for that moment she looked as much a woman as the gypsy as her eyes pleaded.

"Her price is reasonable, and it's surprisingly low. What is one kiss to you?" she asked the last question almost accusing. Kai knew how men acted. They never thought passed their carnal desires. She was sure that the prince had taken a lover before without any regrets. "It's just one kiss. I doubt you'd be saving yourself for someone." Kai said honestly.

Merek seemed very similar to herself. Neither one had any tie to another human being. They merely existed along with the rest of the human race. Kai doubted any woman would've fallen in love with Merek. It wasn't that he was detestable, but his attitude towards himself was rather vain and selfish.

korr.a · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **korr.a** on Mon Apr 16, 2012 7:10 pm

If there was supposed to be a sense of urging when the knight spoke, Merek all but ignored it. He stood unyielding to the gypsy. First Amice, now this gypsy. The prince knew he'd had more than his fill of people with questionable mental stability. He blamed the age old curse on his family. The gypsy was effected just as another other was with the exception of the knight of course. If it weren't for all this magic, he highly doubted she would press him for this minute physical token. It was a hopeless and frustrating thought but Merek was not about to budge on his decision.

From the accusatory question, he still wasn't bothered. However, something very wrong with this situation. The pleading. It fell on deaf ears yet the prince couldn't help but note how oddly feminine this kind of action was. This other fellow argued as if from the perspective of a woman. How could another man question him like this? But this wasn't a detail to be bothered with yet.

He did understand how dire the situation was but his pride was in the way. He'd rather return home and at least attempt to have Amice burned at the stake rather than kiss this gypsy. His stints extended to courting and the few things that entailed. As a matter of fact, he had decided to try and wait for a woman of his standards: the young woman seen via the dream dust. Kaitlynn. This gypsy might be pretty but she was still completely shadowed by the beauty of Lady Kaitlynn. The knight's attack on this whole idea stirred anger in an instant. Merek unfolded his arms in a haste and his voice gained an edge immediately.

"I am doing no such thing," he lied. He was not stupid enough to give the knight factual ammo with which to attack him later. "And if I was, why in god's name would I tell you of all people? My decision stands."

The gypsy had watched the scene in silent curiosity until now. "Seems you will have to seek out the the magician yourself," she punctuated the sentence with an unconvincing sigh as if still hoping this noble-looking young man would change his mind or either the other change it for him.

Sirius Baren · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Sirius Baren** on Mon Apr 16, 2012 7:35 pm

Kai was ruffled at the pride she saw inside of Merek's eyes. He was just as dumb as every other man she had met. Too stubborn to set aside personal views in order to achieve or accomplish a needed task. She was quite prepared to kick him but refrained herself as the gypsy was keeping a close eye on the two. Kai was sure that the gypsy had seen through all of the armor and gruff show Kai used to mask her femininity. She only hoped the gypsy kept quiet on the subject. It would be terribly awkward and strange if Merek found out. Kai wasn't sure what he would think of her if he knew the truth.

Why should she care what Merek thought of her? Even still, when he said there was no one he was waiting for, it made her heart skip a beat. "I don't care if you would've told me or not, that is none of my business." She growled. "But this," she gestured to him and the gypsy, "is my business because you made it my business. If it weren't for you I wouldn't be stuck guarding your royal butt on this fool's errand." She restrained herself from hitting him.

"I don't need you. You aren't the only one in this world with problems Prince," she sneered before she stormed from the gypsy's house. Kai kicked a discarded piece of firewood with her muddy boot before she turned to Goliath. She ran her hand down his neck and watched as his muscles rippled. She let out a rather harsh cuss before she untied him and swung onto the saddle.

Kai could find the man on her own. She didn't need to worry over the silly prince any longer. If he really was going to be so stubborn, then he could be stubborn by himself. Kai wasn't going to put up with him. Kai had enough to worry about without him mixed in.

korr.a · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **korr.a** on Mon Apr 16, 2012 10:15 pm

Storming off? Truly? Merek wanted to laugh despite his anger. He found Kai's behavior completely and utterly ridiculous. Taking off in anger in such a way was behavior for a little girl not a knight. The prince scoffed. Kai had said whatever he wished but Merek's pride had been so inflated, he scarcely felt the insults. Besides, what was with this other fellow? As if he had so many other matters to attend to. Where the knight went, he couldn't guess. He wouldn't know where to start looking for the magician any more than Merek would. Even so, it seemed the team had split.

Merek glanced aside at the gypsy. She immediately noticed his gaze and shifted on her feet, one hand on her hip. All the while, the young woman was eyeing him shamelessly. "A shame your friend left but the offer still stands..." she trailed.

"Gypsies use black magic," the prince simply stated. "I would be foolish to allow you to get so close." And he truly believed this. He'd avoided her all this time because of his belief. Now though, there was the added reason of her desiring a physical token from him which he had no desire to give. Gypsies were known for using their outward appearances, if they were attractive like this one was, to prey on men. Stealing, magic, general debauchery. Merek knew what to look out for.

"So the young man isn't so ignorant," she observed. "Your friend is foolish to seek out that man alone however. There is a reason so few look for him. You can still be of aid." She slipped around the table, closer to him and he took an instinctive set back. Yet, as he stepped back, she stepped forward. He knew then what she planned and he hoped Kaitlynn might forgive him for what he was about to allow.

The gypsy's eyebrows were raised in a silent question. One she didn't give him the chance to answer. Before he had another thought, the gypsy had claimed a kiss and pranced back from him.

Merek officially disliked Cannore. Though the kiss had been quick and as quickly as it was over, guilt began to set in. He buried the feeling under the idea of success. He'd have the information needed. He said only one thing, "No more of this nonsense, tell me where the man is."

"There is a tavern in the center of the city called The Quail & The Wolf. Most say the magician can be found in the tavern's basement amidst the barrels from time to time."

With these details, Merek left before the gypsy had a chance to try anything else. He untied Agnes, threw her reins around the top of her neck and gathered the leather straps in his hand after he'd swung up onto her back. Once on her, he navigated the horse back up the street, listening for the sound of other hoof-beats besides Agnes' while he looked around. There was little that could be done as long as he and the knight were separated. At least, the prince thought so. Not to mention the fact that it wasn't safe being split up.

Sirius Baren · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Sirius Baren** on Wed Apr 18, 2012 11:26 pm

After a couple filthy streets, Kai dismounted Goliath and decided to take a much more personal approach. She stood amongst a crowd that had gathered. It seemed a thief was caught stealing and the shopkeeper held back no reserves in punishment and humiliation.

Kai didn't make any move to help either the shopkeeper or thief. She had learned from past experiences that you let the people deal with their problems on their own. It never was good to jump in as you risked yourself by getting mixed in the fray.

As the fight went on, Kai felt something press up against her. She looked and found a fairly pretty woman standing far too close for comfort. Kai tried to shrug away but the woman persisted.

"I can get you what you want," she whispered to Kai having no idea the body underneath the heavy armor was that of a woman instead of a man.

Kai's mind instantly jumped to the Dream Dust and so she followed after the woman without a word and rather foolishly. Kai was determined to prove to Merek that she could handle things on her own even though it wasn't her fault in any instance. Her pride blinded her until they had come to a quiet alley and the woman turned around.

All too soon it was obvious to Kai what the woman had meant and instantly Kai was unnerved. Before she could back away, another woman had sidled up behind her and both were trying to seduce her. Neither one had a clue Kai wasn't a man. All they saw was a knight with money. It was their tactic to distract a man long enough to steal all they could from him.

Kai had never been in such an odd predicament and she didn't know how to react as they had her up against a corner.

"Please ladies, you're both beautiful, but your time is better spent elsewhere." Kai stammered as the two continued their advance. It was disgusting to Kai and a rather awkward situation. She didn't know how to get out. She couldn't strike them down with her sword as they hadn't done anything to her yet.

korr.a · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **korr.a** on Thu Apr 19, 2012 12:25 am

As he kept atop Agnes, the noise of the city shifted from loud to quiet and back again until the noise was pressed against him from every which direction. There was yelling coming from somewhere. Seemed there was a bit of a crowd gathered but as soon as he happened upon the people, the mass seemed to thin. He caught bits of conversation from people weaving around his horse. Evidently, some brief scuffle had just ended. Merek scoffed. As long as he'd lived, which was long really, the common people fought with each other much more easily. Perhaps there was some element to common life which provoked them so. It was as the group dissipated that he noticed something undoubtedly odd: the knight's horse, what was the name? Goliath?

Merek slipped from Agnes' back and took the time approach Goliath. Being that the two horses didn't appear to be uncomfortable with one another, he tied the other's reins to the back of Agnes' saddle. Naturally, he wondered where the knight had gone to. He'd taken off in quite a haste yet the fellow struck him as nearly inseparable from his beast. The prince debated whether or not to be concerned about this as he urged his own horse to move on again.

The direction he traveled toward led him slowly past fewer and fewer people until the streets and alleyways were quite quiet; the loudest sounds then was the familiar thudding steps of his horse's hooves along with the knights' on the cobblestone pathways. The prospect of finding his former traveling companion was even more daunting now. It was true that anything might have happened to the other young fellow and despite the differences between the knight and himself, Merek hoped Kai hadn't fallen prey to denizens of Cannore.

Then, as if to answer these present hopes, he clearly heard the knight's voice from what sounded like nearby. Or only, he thought he'd heard the knights voice. Whoever spoke was addressing ladies. Merek prodded Agnes forward around into the entrance of another alleyway whose end held the final answers to these questions. As it appeared, a pair of gypsy-types were attempting to seduce Kai. Why the young man had a look of disgust upon his face, Merek couldn't figure. Certainly, it was not a good thing to try and avoid being accosted by a pair of lovely women even if they were thieves.

"Ladies," the prince called from the other end of the alley to them in his best attempt to sound appealing even if this was unnecessary, "I would appreciate you no longer accosting my companion." No one, with the exception of the knight, ever quite resisted his magic sort of influence and the women were dismissed without a fuss.

Once again dismounting, Merek paused to untie Goliath from Agnes' saddle before walking the proud creature back to his owner. He made no effort to stifle the smirk from growing more prominent on his lips. "From where I stand, it seems most of your problems are your own doing." But his tone was far less insulting and more one of amusement. It made sense now, why the knight looked the way he did and acted as he had earlier. "Though I realize something now. You're one of those fellows who prefers his own kind aren't you?"

Sirius Baren · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Sirius Baren** on Thu Apr 19, 2012 8:30 am

Kai shifted nervously as one of the women slid her hand down her arm. She tried to shrug away from her but the woman persisted until a new voice sung through the air. Kai looked up and over at the entrance of the alley where Merek stood with both of the horses. She was relieved to see Goliath and was relieved that the women stopped their assault and left her alone. She wasn't sure what would have happened had they gotten very far in their seduction.

The women left Kai alone with Merek and Kai felt anger bubble inside of her. She hadn't asked him to assist her. Though it wouldn't have been well if they knew Kai was a woman. Women weren't allowed to abandon their homely duties to go out and become a knight. Such positions were believed to only be handled by men. Women were too delicate and too precious to fight and protect others.

Kai kept the irritated look from her face as Merek brought Goliath back over to her. She gripped the reigns quickly and felt relief flood through her to have the beast so close. She had been afraid someone might have taken him while Kai had been coralled into the alley. She ran her hand down Goliath's face before she looked to Merek. She looked oddly confused as he shared his revelation with her.

The anger and irritation that Kai had found with him coming to her aid was washed away as she realized what he meant. Instead of getting defensive and angry with him, she laughed. Through all the years of disguising her womanly ways, she had never been able to change her laugh. It was light and airy and it lit up her whole face.

"I can assure you that is not the case." She said as she finally began to calm down. "Only those sick at heart find attraction in their same gender." She responded in a much better mood now. "Sorry to disappoint, but that is not why I wasn't eager to let them seduce me." She had a twinkle in her eye as she knew she had a large secret hidden from him. Kai no longer was angry with Merek and she had calmed down considerably from her outburst earlier. She turned to him with an expression of ease. "It'll be more difficult, but I'm confident we can find the man even without the gypsies help. We should get going." She said and pulled Goliath after her.

korr.a · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **korr.a** on Thu Apr 19, 2012 7:00 pm

By far, Merek had anticipated all irritation and, of course, bounds of anger from the knight. After all, it was more a knight's place to go about rescuing and not being in a position which they required rescuing from. All the same, what was done was done.

He could hear the other denying but all of this only enforced the former realization as truth in the prince's mind. By god, the fellow had manged to even laugh the way a woman did, the blithe sort of sound which was actually quite lovely to hear. Merek found there was something about the noise was attractive, familiar even. The unexplained glimmer in the the other fellow's gaze ruffled the prince even further. Merek cleared his throat unnecessarily and minutely edged away from Kai before starting to turn Agnes around. In short, he puzzled over his own thoughts and was not sure he believed a word of what the knight had said. After all, weren't the types who were "sick at heart" rather defensive? Even if the dynamics were now obviously different, at least Merek was convinced they were, he made the effort to regard his traveling companion with a decent perceptive.

This was something he found less difficult now given the odd new sense of ease between them. Merek felt a twinge of something he would have considered companionship and less like the hostility which had held fast between them up until this very point. Undoubtedly, this was all strange considering the circumstances. But ease was ease and the prince couldn't question it. He preferred to deal with the other civilly rather than be at odds like before. That wasn't to say they didn't have their differences. But Merek began to think they might have more similarities than he'd thought at first. But now was not yet the time to ponder these things.

"No need," he was quick to interject. There was anything but pride in his voice as he went on. Merek did not like being reminded of the fact that all this might have to be relayed to Lady Kaitlynn soon enough. "The gypsy said the man is occasionally found in the basement of a tavern here by the name of The Quail & The Wolf. At the very least, it may be worthwhile to seek out this place." After this, he mentally braced, expecting the knight to have something to say about what had obviously gone on between the prince and the young gypsy.

Sirius Baren · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Sirius Baren** on Thu Apr 19, 2012 10:48 pm

Kai was surprised to hear from him that he knew where they were to find the man. This meant that he had accepted the gypsy's terms and paid up. She could see he didn't want to dwell on the subject and that his pride had been considerably knocked down from whatever had occurred between the two after Kai had left. She wondered if it truly was just a kiss or if the gypsy had turned her black magic on Merek unbeknownst to him.

It that moment Kai decided to let it slide and not say a word about what he had been asked to pay. Perhaps there was a much deeper side to him than the shallow, vain, spoiled, and pigheaded prince she had been traveling with. Kai held enough empathy inside to let Merek retain what dignity that was still intact.

"Let's go find it then," she stated simply as she mounted Goliath.

The search wasn't that difficult. The place seemed to be a favorite haunt of many of the townsfolk and it was fairly crowded when they walked in. The placed smelled heavily of sweat and ale. It was a strong pungent smell that reminded Kai how grateful she was to not truly be a man. She couldn't imagine being so smelly and not doing something about it. It was quite the disgusting stench.

"What can I help you with?" the barkeep asked gruffly as he was cleaning stained tankards with a filthy rag. Kai wouldn't drink from one even if she was dying of thirst.

"We're looking for a man who is rumored to visit here often." Kai skirted her eyes about the room. "We've been told he can help you get what is impossible to find." She added when the man gave her a straight forward look. It was the sort of look that suggested many men chose to spend their time and gold on getting drunk in the place.

"Oh, I know just who you want." The man said in a low whisper as his eyes glinted. "Follow me," he chuckled darkly and moved from behind the bar.

Kai kept her hand over the hilt of her sword out of habit as the man led them to a dark back room. It was a tiny room that revealed an old man hunched over a table sorting through questionable items.

"Pardon me, but we've heard you have a knack for helping people find what they need." Kai ventured carefully.

The hunched man turned around and grinned a black and toothy smile their way. He was missing an eye and his skin was scarred and weathered from such a long life. He was very unappealing to look upon and the insanity was clear in his eyes.

"What you seek is much harder to acquire than you think." He cackled.

"What is it we're seeking?" Kai asked.

"You want to replace what has been stolen, and to discover the truth." He pointed a gnarly finger. "You both feel distanced inside and wish to fill the void." He cracked some of his bones as he pulled his worn cloak around his bony shoulders.

"You want something from a dream." He jabbed at Merek before looking at Kai. "And you want to bring justice to your past." He pointed to Kai.

Kai was unnerved that the man knew so much without even knowing either of them. How could he know that about them both? Did he have supernatural powers?

"If you know so much, then you must know a heavy curse is laid upon our heads if we do not return what was stolen." She gave Merek a rather disapproving look.

The man gathered up some old bones that had dried symbols drawn in blood. He tossed them on the ground before them before he bent over and inspected them. He looked up between them and gave a dark cackle.

"What you seek will try you both in ways you cannot comprehend. If you wish for your lives to not change their course, then disband this quest. If you are willing to accept that your life will forever be changed, then listen closely." The insane look in his eye seemed to take over his body for a moment.

Kai didn't even look Merek's way. She wasn't sure what the old man meant, but she did know that she didn't want to risk a curse.

"Very well," he said when neither left. "What you seek is made from the tears of a dragon. To find the dragon you must travel to the highest mountain. You must gain favor if you expect to receive the tears. Once you have accomplished the task, come to me and I can extract what you need to replace what was stolen." He gathered his old and nasty bones and tucked them in a leather pouch.

"What is your fee?" Kai asked carefully.

"Your journey will be payment enough. What you face is nothing you have ever known before." He grinned like the madman he was before turning away and mumbling incoherent words.

korr.a · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **korr.a** on Fri Apr 20, 2012 8:54 am

Where he had expected a snide remark, there was none. Merek wondered at this only a moment before concluding, obviously, that the knight was experiencing this same sense of new-found camaraderie. There was nothing to question about this. Well there could be but not at the present time. What was worth considering now was the man they might anticipate finding. The prince tried to imagine it but no image came to mind. After the gypsies of this city, he hardly knew what to expect.

After the knight, he mounted his own horse yet again and paced along. The search didn't last all that long. The horses were tied off somewhere at least relatively safe-looking while they ventured in. Merek stared about the inside of the tavern with a kind of horrified fascination. It was as if the storybook tavern had leapt of the pages in great detail. Evidently, the smell about the place was a detail typically left out. It was positively horrid, a kind of mix which was acidic and male all at once. If the criteria of being a drinker came with smelling like this place, the prince swore he wouldn't dare touch alcohol ever again.

The short exchange with the barkeeper led them through to a back room roughly the size of a closet and, at last, the man they sought. The man had the clear air of madness about him. But easily, magic hung in the air along with it. Before he'd even had the chance to answer the knight's prompt, Merek determined the sorcerous nature of this man. It was easy considering he lived and breathed an aura of the same base nature.

The prince listened on as Kai sought the details. He might have been offended about the man's accusation if it weren't entirely true. He did, in fact, wish to have the hand of the Lady who frequented his induced dreams. But when the man told of the knight, Merek felt he'd heard this explanation before. Where else, he couldn't guess but it was oddly familiar. All the same, the man was intent on proclaiming hidden truths rather than anything about the dust. This was a disappointing possibility.

Only after the message from the bones was deciphered did the conversation lead in the direction it was intended to go the entire time: the dust. Merek listened as the man suggested he and the knight had the choice to remain and continue listening to whatever it was he would say. By the man's word, this quest sounded more important than the prince considered it to be. He foolishly doubted the man's words and remained to hear as did the knight.

The tears of a dragon sounded like an impossible material to come across. At least the highest mountain would not be difficult to find. One look all around the horizon could show the direction in which to head to reach the mountain range. Why the man didn't charge for such information, Merek wondered briefly. Then, they departed. Merek made haste to get back to Agnes and untied her before mounting up once again. The short journey back to the inn where they had stayed before was made. By far, it was too dangerous to stay the night in Cannore, the encounters with the gypsies provided assurance of this.

The point of the say was dusk at the time they left. When they were just barely outside of Cannore's territory, he regarded the knight. "In all the stories, not a one ever mentioned a dragon living amidst the mountain range in this region." The detail about the books had been unnecessary and Merek wasn't sure what prompted him to speak freely now. "If there is a dragon, I doubt we stand a chance in facing it." His intention hadn't been to sound quite so discouraging even if he said what he believed to be true. The prince stopped talking, wondering at how easily he spoke his mind without intending to. It was as if something influenced him to and he doubted it was the new sense of companionship. More so, he suspected this effect had something to do with the gypsy.

But he let his thoughts wander elsewhere to how the knight might fare in combat against the apparent beast they were to face. He wanted to ask about this but the question didn't quite come out. "I have no formal training and I suppose learning from you will prove useful if we truly are to face a dragon." After this, Merek shut his mouth, positive the gypsy had cast some kind of spell on his and he was beginning to figure out its nature. He urged Agnes to pick up her pace and he thus arrived back at the inn shortly before the knight with the intention of trying to keep quiet lest he blurt out more truths the knight didn't exactly need to know. The only problem was, they would have to develop some small plans regarding the near future which would mean more talk. Merek didn't look forward to this.

Agnes was left in the care of the stable boy, the latter of which seemed genuinely surprised to see the same guests returning for an additional night. Merek paid the innkeeper in a haste and went right up to the room. They'd been allotted the same space as before, the prince found with dismay. There was only another mostly sleepless night to look forward to. Then again, there was the chance of utilizing another bit of dust tonight. Anything to see Lady Kaitlynn once more. But before all this, there would have to be some kind of talk.

Sirius Baren · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Sirius Baren** on Sat Apr 21, 2012 10:42 am

There was a heavy silence between the two after they left the crazy old man. Both had their own thoughts to deal with and their own problems to sort through. All Kai could think about was what the man said. He said that both her and Merek would be changed through this experience. What did that even mean? Was her entire focus going to shift? Would she personally be completely changed from the angry and vengeful woman she had been most of her life?

"Dragons are extremely private creatures who only bother with their own problems. I'm not surprised you haven't heard of one living in the area." Kai responded after Merek finally spoke up. "I'm sure there are many more dragons living around us then anyone even knows." She added as she glanced through the falling day and spotted a mountain range shrouded in clouds and very far in the distance. She had never travelled that far before. It was rumored that even the earth was riddled with heavy and untamable magic.

Kai looked over at Merek with a raised brow as he suggested out loud that she give him any sort of training if they hoped to stand against the dragon and receive the tears they needed. She was silent for a moment as she thought it over.

"We might not even have to resort to that," she stated. "Dragons are just as complicated as people are. Some hate fighting, others are blood thirsty, and some are willing to part with their precious treasures by answering riddles or completing tasks." Kai informed him. "Though it would be wise if you did learn how to properly hold a sword. I hope it won't come to fighting the dragon, but I don't think we can simply walk there and ask." She said. "We'll start tomorrow." She consented after a long moment to think.

Kai wasn't fond of the idea but she knew it would be much better for both of them if he was able to defend himself. She didn't want to have to jump in at every whim to protect him.

Merek urged Agnes forward and left Kai alone on the road. She didn't mind as they were close enough to the inn that the chance of an incident was very low. She patted Goliath's heavily muscled neck as they continued at their same pace.

This left her time to wonder over why Merek was suddenly speaking so freely without any restraint. The spoiled undertone that had accompanied all he had said was gone. He spoke more like a man than a prince. She wondered if he was speaking freely or perhaps he felt an influence over his tongue that he couldn't control.

When Kai arrived at the inn and passed Goliath to the stable hand, she discovered that Merek had already paid for the room. She moved down the dark hall and wasn't surprised that nothing had changed in the room. It was just as dark, unkempt, and smelly as it had been the night before.

"We'll have to leave early tomorrow if we want to cover any distance. If the weather stays fair then we should be able to make it to the base of the mountain in four days." She didn't even wait for him to say anything. "After we make camp tomorrow, I'll help you with your sword." She said as she removed the old boots and set them by her bed. She sat down on the bed, her back to Merek, and sighed. For so long she had known exactly what she needed to do and had never relied on anyone. Now she was stuck with Merek and it seemed nothing was clear to her anymore.

korr.a · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **korr.a** on Sat Apr 21, 2012 11:08 pm

Merek, though having lived a spoiled life, had always been the type to keep his mouth shut. But this was not to be mistaken for meekness or sensiblity. Rather, it was selfishness in its utmost. He considering his own thoughts carefully and did not express them as if they were too precious to share. He wasn't still as completely clueless as he had been in the past because he was now in the world and learning from it every breath he took outside of the castle. At this point, he didn't quite recognize the practice of freely speaking the truth as upstanding. He did not quite see that this trait, giving thoughts away without fear of rejection was precisely a quality in the man he one day envisioned himself to be rather than the brat he currently was. What he did notice, however, was how easily the knight had responded to his words. Verily, the short exchanges were more like true conversation. This couldn't be because of the new friendship resulting from the recent event, he knew. This was different and Merek hadn't fully fit the pieces together yet. He was too far concerned with keeping his mouth shut for a new reason.

Entirely without realizing it, the prince had taken to pacing the floor of the room while the knight was absent. He busied himself with methods on how to respond shortly and efficiently. There were some truths he couldn't dare tell the other fellow especially considering the knight could take his head clean off his shoulders and really just might if he had any idea Merek had some of the dust in his possession. The prince felt a twinge of guilt but it ebbed away instantly as he recalled the last dust-induced dream. Lady Kaitlynn. It was almost a tragedy he had not been able to kiss her as intended. Perhaps tonight, Merek thought. But the knight's entry now stole him from his reverie.

"I suppose any sword will do," he commented, more to himself than anything. It was odd to hear these truthful words leave his mouth when he knew full well what he would have said under regular circumstances. He knew he would have made some remark about the castle's blacksmith having been the best in the country. It would have been something arrogant and pointless. The young man ceased his pace finally and sank into his bed for the night. It was beyond strange to understand the differences in how he spoke and he understood how Kai could declare him so arrogant and spoiled. As he thought about these things, he moved to stretch out atop the scratchy sheets and stared up at the ceiling.

Only after a moment did he seem to recall the fact that the knight had sighed. What for? He wondered. No doubt there was much ahead of them. He'd added just a bit more for the other by suggesting training. Merek wished he hadn't convinced the kingdom's swords-master to leave him alone. He never thought he might need the training the man would have given him.

"Training." he stated aloud and scoffed at the very idea. "You must think me almost entirely useless now. The only halfway decent thing I've manged thus far is keeping persuading the gypsies away from you and even that was because of magic. " Merek fell quiet a moment before he thought of something else to add. "Should I be alive long enough to return to the castle, I can ensure you are well repaid for your troubles. I'm sure you can utilize coin more sensibly than most." Fie on that gypsy for kissing him. Now was scarcely the time for speech to sound like compliments.

Sirius Baren · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Sirius Baren** on Sun Apr 22, 2012 10:49 am

Kai looked over her shoulder when Merek spoke. He did seem a bit useless. He had only caused trouble for them except when he had turned the harlots away from Kai. She felt bad for him. She could hear the honesty and sincerity in his voice. He truly thought he was useless. It was strange to think that this powerful man viewed himself so small even if it might have been the truth.

"Nonsense, no one is useless." Kai told him quickly. She knew it wouldn't be good for them if Merek was doubting himself. All he would need was practice. It would be bad for them both if he didn't believe in himself. Those who found success were those who could invision it and believed in their own power and capabilities. "I'll train you right." Kai felt strange trying to offer comfort to this man who she had viewed with such distaste before.

Kai was surprised to hear his offer if they made through this alive. She didn't doubt they'd come out of it alive. "Gold means nothing to me. I would have no need for it." She said firmly. "There is only one thing I desire in this world and I'm willing to kill myself to get it." She hadn't meant to say so much. She quickly shut her mouth as she remembered just who she was talking to.

Kai coughed a little uncomfortable before she turned her back to him once more and settled down in the bed. It was obvious she was done talking to him for the night and she didn't want to continue the conversation. Kai was tired from their long day and it didn't take long for her to slip off into sleep. Soon her breathing evened out and drew deep. The stress lines in her face smoothed over as she relaxed and allowed herself to fall into her subconcious.

korr.a · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **korr.a** on Sun Apr 22, 2012 11:55 am

Oddly enough, the idea of having proper training didn't seem so bad. Merek wouldn't dare admit he was looking forward to it. But there was something attractive about the image of brandishing a well-polished blade and having the knowledge to know precisely how to go about using it. A man ought to be able to sufficiently defend himself. The prince thought himself more ignorant by the second for persuading the swordsmaster away in the past. All the same, he had no doubt Kai would teach well. He had not seen a bit of the knight's prowess yet he simply believed, without actual proof, that the other was skilled. Perhaps it was the fellow's confidence? No, there was another word for it but Merek could not yet determine it.

The refusal of coin struck him as surprising. Merek turned, even glancing in Kai's direction for a moment. At the very least, money bought information others were not willing to give. Or, if you were a gypsy, kissing was a fine substitute: he'd figured this out recently. But he wasn't going to argue with the knight. The prince's gaze returned to the ceiling as he imagined what the other could speak so passionately of. He was sorely tempted to prod the other about what kind of desire was worth sacrificing one's life for but he resisted. The conversation had lapsed into and end here and he wasn't stupid enough to force it along again especially considering his present circumstances.

All was quiet for a time, nothing to be heard by breathing. Merek lay awake listening. The fact that he was bothering to listen to another fellow breathe was deviant, he thought. It was like earlier in the day when he'd heard Kai laugh. The prince strived to push aside the bothersome thoughts then and to focus upon what his present objective was. And when he could hear the knight finally sleep, Merek better perused his goal. He sat up in bed and hastily fished the vial from the pocket of his jacket. Eyeing the contents, he noted how little of the dust there actually was. Quickly, he vowed to be more careful with the amount used and poured just a bit into one of his hands before capping the little glass and setting it elsewhere on the bed. Breathing it in induced a cough at once.

When his eyes were open again, he looked favorably on the glade again. The verdant grass spread out around him and eventually hit tree trunks. The place was as beautiful as ever even if the air was hazy and gray as if it were morning. All was still pleasant enough and each blade of grass was bent with more dew than the last time. He knelt, noting how there appeared to be far less flowers dotting the ground. Upon closer inspection, he found some of buds had closer curiously. Merek rose and looked ahead for his sole reason for being in such a place.

Even through the haze, he could not find her. There was a sort of clenching in the vicinity of his chest. Merek refused to believe he was now always to be alone in this place. Starting forward to look in the area, he called for her and heard an answer behind him. The prince turned and found her at last. He hesitated nary a step as he made his way to her. The tightness plaguing his insides was gone at once so he might breathe.

"The sight of you is as lovely as ever," he told her with the hint of a smile on his face. But it was wiped away soon. Merek reached to take one of her hands. Guilt hadn't reached the point of filling the majority of his mind quite yet but he did not wish to let it linger until it reached that point. "There was a bit of an incident with a gypsy," he admitted and quickly went on, "And this fellow I'm traveling with strikes me as odd. I am at a loss altogether." It was a fair bit to tell her all at once but he would explain as much as she desired so that he might be free of guilt and have advice from her. Strange how easy it was to tell her the truth and he knew it was not because of the gypsy's magic. He felt he might tell her anything at all if she only asked.

Sirius Baren · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Sirius Baren** on Sun Apr 22, 2012 2:07 pm

The meadow was quiet with only a whispering breeze to be heard. When Kaitlynn heard her name being called, she quickly opened her eyes and saw Merek standing in front of her. She smiled as she saw him and felt the bubbly warmth fill her inside. She quickly responded and broke into a smile as he turned around to face her before he moved quickly over to her. She felt her cheeks flush at his words and was quite flattered by them.

"It's good to see you again," she smiled. She watched him carefully as she could see something was plaguing upon his mind. She stayed silent as he took her hand and spoke. She listened and offered him a comforting look. She had an idea of what he meant by "incident" and she saw that he was truly discomforted for what had happened and what he had started to notice about his traveling companion.

"Why are you so worried?" she asked gently. "Do you feel you have no control?" she offered in hopes of helping him realize where he felt at loss. "I don't doubt that the gypsy used her own crafty methods to get what she wanted." She could see that he felt guilty for what had happened. Kaitlynn did feel a little pull inside of her at the thought of him being with someone else. "If you had no control in the situation, then it wasn't your fault for what happened." She assured him.

Kaitlynn thought for a moment about the second issue he had raised up. "What exactly is odd? What are you worried about?" she asked him very concerned.

korr.a · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **korr.a** on Sun Apr 22, 2012 4:28 pm

"Well no," he began.

At a loss perhaps hadn't been the best way to describe things. But he'd never been the sort who could easily verbalize feelings; it simply wasn't in him. All the same, she was questioning only to help him and he was obligated to answer none the less. It was true what she said of the gypsy though, he thought. He never had volunteered a kiss, rather, he'd outright refused the idea from the start. It had been taken from him in short though he had not felt at ease until she reassured him. At last, he was unhooked from guilt. Well, part of it anyway. Now came the other issue:

"This other fellow, male as he is, strikes me more and more feminine by the day. It's quite odd yet I find it familiar to me."

This was the best Merek could manage. His pride kept him from elaborating any further. He wouldn't dare mention the strange affinity he had for the fellow. It would sound ill indeed and he could not explain it in a way which made it sound any different. The problem was, the was a journey ahead and something must be done about this. The prince wondered if all the madness and magic he'd been immersed in as of late was beginning to addle his brain at last. He had thoughts about what might be happening and he did not wish them to be true. Rather, he wished they all might disappear and that he might remain here in the meadow with Lady Katilynn indefinitely. He recognized her as a great beauty from the moment he saw her and now he knew of her kindness. If only all women were so compassionate.

At once, he wished the scene about him existed outside of dreams so that he might enjoy it. He had doubts of the location's reality but he did not question Kaitlynn's. She simply must exist somewhere. He must find her, allay all which caused her to be concerned.

"You must tell me where I can find you outside of this place," his eyes displayed how filled with earnest he was. At the way things went in this dreamlike state, he might disappear and wake in reality at any second.

Sirius Baren · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Sirius Baren** on Sun Apr 22, 2012 4:58 pm

Kaitlynn felt relief inside as she could see that he seemed to relax a bit more now that she had offered him some sort of assurance over the incident with the gypsy. It was good to see that she could take away part of his pain and his worry. She watched as he tried to explain the situation with his companion. She could see the worry evident in his eyes. She knew what he was afraid of. She didn't blame him. To have that sort of confusion only made situations feel much more difficult and uncontrollable.

"I wish I knew how you could find me, otherwise I would tell you in an instant." She said. "When I'm here in this place, with you, I can't seem to think about anything else. The magic of this place fills my mind up entirely." She told him with a sad smile. "I do not like to think about my reality outside of this meadow. I've never felt peace in my life until I came here." She offered. "But I assure you I am real. I am not apart of the magic that created this place." Kaitlynn told him quickly as she could see the worry arising in his eyes.

"I do not think you would the reality behind me." She felt a little self-conscious right then. She had never regretted her chosen path until then. She felt so connected to this man and she didn't want that connection to go away. It felt good to her to be so close to someone even if they only knew one another in such magical illusion.

Kaitlynn stared at him openly for a moment as she searched his eyes. She could see the worry and it broke her heart. She stepped up close to him and used her free hand to touch the side of his face.

"Perhaps this will help you," she whispered before she kissed him. In all of his confusion, Kaitlynn knew that a kiss could destroy all of his doubts. Even with such a seemingly simple gesture, it swept her away.

Their Hearts' Desire {Closed}

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