History of Castle Mardon - 1B
Tuesday, July 14, 2009 (11:24:39)

Posted by TerishD

History of Mardon Castle
Chapter One
Part 2

Terniff almost tossed her coffee into the fire, but she only knew that she would then refill her cup with a liquid that had cooked for a number of minutes longer. Drinking the strong substance would not help her, but getting up and walking around would not help her either. The best thing for her to do would be to go to bed, although there was no way she was going to allow herself such comfort.

The thought to commit murder was strong in her mind, and Terniff was growing mad at the sentries who kept to their duties. They would know she did it, and she would not deny it, but there was only dishonor in attacking someone as they slept. Now, if the sentries would conveniently move away so she could claim the impression that she acted with the permission of the group, the deed would get done and everyone could truly go about feeling that their lives were returning to normal.


Although the war is over, some continue to scheme.


History of Mardon Castle
Chapter One
Part 2

Terniff almost tossed her coffee into the fire, but she only knew that she would then refill her cup with a liquid that had cooked for a number of minutes longer. Drinking the strong substance would not help her, but getting up and walking around would not help her either. The best thing for her to do would be to go to bed, although there was no way she was going to allow herself such comfort.

The thought to commit murder was strong in her mind, and Terniff was growing mad at the sentries who kept to their duties. They would know she did it, and she would not deny it, but there was only dishonor in attacking someone as they slept. Now, if the sentries would conveniently move away so she could claim the impression that she acted with the permission of the group, the deed would get done and everyone could truly go about feeling that their lives were returning to normal.

Terniff spat in her cup, then drained the impure drink down her throat with the wish that she would be present when another killed Viscountess Nalisha previously of Salinok. There could be no love in all the land of Mardon for the small delicate vixen that could only fight with her looks and voice. Terniff could not believe that the girl had enough substance to her to warm Viscount Tasbirn and give him pleasure. There was no doubt that she had done so, because she had not been cast aside by him and was pregnant, but Viscountess Nalisha could not bear the weight of a pail of water which meant to Terniff that she would also be unable to bear the weight of a child.

Viscountess Nalisha was not the only female being brought from the east. Those of Mardon were again coming home rich with the spoils of other lands. Tergaul might again be secure, but they would find themselves having to build with what resources those of Mardon did not feel were worth taking. Some of the ladies being brought back were as delicate as the princess, but they only had the status of playthings. Those being brought back as wives or favored consorts showed the strength of being able to survive amidst harsh conditions.

Terniff had her own bounty, and one piece of it was a strong dark-haired man who could not speak. He could transmit information, but his tongue-less mouth required that others stopped to pay attention to him. Terniff first took the man in honor, because she liked his muscular form and understood that he had simply been used as an example by the enemy. They did not fight fair, and were exceedingly cruel, and Terniff needed to release her anger at the enemy so went to lengths to be kind to one who was a stranger but fought on her side of the war. In tending to the man she learned that he had also been castrated, but as she tended to that wound she learned that his manliness was not harmed. She added to his pain from the wound to his person, but they each shared sounds stating that they felt life could not be better. As she cleaned the both of them, each stated a bond unto the other with her promise to be that no husband would have the power to deny the trust between them.

The man's name was Renwyn, and Terniff did consider him very handsome. She protected the man as much as he protected her. It was not that he was incapable of taking care of himself, but he could not talk his way out of trouble. If the man felt a need to fight, that was one thing, but she took on most who opposed him simply to assure that he had the options of any other man. Renwyn was tested, but Terniff had made it clear that the man was not an enemy, was not in his condition due to a crime, and his bond to her was not that of slave. Those of Mardon still had to test the mettle of Renwyn, and he had proven himself as a man so was now accepted and moved about with no trouble.

None spoke when he came and sat besides Terniff. The two did not put arms around each other, although they did not hide their affection for each other. He understood that she did not want affection. He however made motions of such simply in a hope of convincing Terniff to go to bed.

"If Tasbirn was here, he would be in bed with his lady. You need to come to me."

She softly spoke to her lover as she tossed the dregs of her coffee mug upon the fire, "Nalisha is not the same as you."

"Within the week, you should be home. I want you to dance with other men."

"No, when I get home I will have work to do. I will restore you, Renwyn. You will be my man, and I will bear your children."

"That is not the promise between us."

"Come here."

Terniff pulled the man away from the fire. She was strong, but knew he was stronger. She was soft to his touch, but he would bend to her pressure. He moved with her to a sentry position.

Eyes did move after the lady, but she was one men did enjoy looking at. All knew that she could be quite attractive. Her long brown hair was not presently fashioned, and only the remnants of minimal cosmetics were on her face, but her head was still watched for its beauty. There was a skirt of red silk over her lower section, but only a leather vest covered the top portion of a gown of thick linen. Terniff had been wearing her armor during the day, but had removed the ornate metal plates. The blouse only had ornate red silk sleeves, and did not look proper as an outer garment, so she had removed it as well. She moved without any concern about the men who watched her. She kept her eyes on Renwyn.

The lady directed a glare at the man on watch, and he stared back. She looked at Renwyn, then back at the sentry. He shrugged, but it seemed to be enough for her. Her voice was still low, but it hissed with the power she put behind the words.

"Listen, Renwyn, the men left us for a reason. They are making their plans. Mardon will be restored. If our viscount can become king with that worthless vixen for a wife, I can have you."

The sentry coughed, but it did not hush Terniff. "I might be bringing you to a cursed land, Renwyn, but it is the best place for living on this planet. Don't deny me, Renwyn, and I won't deny you."

"You offered me a future without dreams, Terniff. Now you force me to dream again."

"Look up in those mountains." She did not just point, but reached to turn his face. "See that glow? It is the men dreaming. We women can dream too. Viscountess Nalisha has her dream, but I will also have mine."

"And you dream of me?"

"Oh, you are a lot more valuable than Viscountess Nalisha. I promise you that."

Not scared of her words, Terniff turned to the sentry, "And what do you have to say on the matter?"

"None, my lady. I lost my money on you last night. I really did not expect Viscountess Nalisha to survive the first night after Viscount Tasbirn left with his private battalion."

"Oh, we have fought wizards for too long. We used to be a land of honest people, but those of us returning have learned the art of politics and the deception of strategy. We are bringing an additional curse back to our land, and Viscountess Nalisha represents it, but there is also a knowledge that Mardon cannot survive with an added threat over our heads. The men will restore the greatness of the land. I seek such as well, but I will not come home bringing a curse with me. Renwyn is not the same as Viscountess Nalisha, and I want that known."

"I don't have anything against your silent man, Princess Terniff."

The lady looked at Renwyn, and asked him, "Did you know that? My brother rules the land of Sekurd, but I am the eldest of the land. I should be the wife of Tasbirn, and I went on this excursion to prove my worth to him. Instead he falls in love with this fifth child and second daughter of some minor baron. When I say that you are worth more than Princess Nalitha, it means that you are also worth more than the ruler of Mardon, because you have me when he does not. You better hold you head high, Renwyn."

The man really did not want to say anything, but after glancing at the sentry a couple of times, he felt it best to say, "I guess that I need to wait until I meet your brothers."

"I assure you, Renwyn, that Viscountess Nalisha better hope that she does not."


More on the plans of the men.