History of Mardon Castle - 14B
Saturday, January 30, 2010 (12:34:30)

Posted by TerishD

History of Mardon Castle
Chapter Fourteen
Part 2

...
A voiced sounded from up in the riggings that caused Terniff to consider the situation. “Captain, there are a number of kevalla watching from the shore.”

“Aye, everyone loves to watch a contest. Any sign of opposition?”

“No, captain. The lake is calm and clear.”

“Do you think we could have good fishing?”

Terniff turned with her husband toward the captain of the vessel. That question concerned a topic that had not come up in any of the planning sessions. It thus came as a surprise that the captain would have such on his mind.


No, they did not come to lake to fish.


History of Mardon Castle
Chapter Fourteen
Part 2

Terniff stood next to her husband without feeling any anxiety at the occasion. She had not worn her armor for a few days now, and found herself again becoming comfortable in a dress. Putting on the gowns had stirred memories, especially those of her mother, and she found them more pleasant than the combative frame of mind that came to her in wearing the armor. The fabric of the dress was of very light materials, but covered her with thicker layers than the metal. Terniff actually mumbled complaints about the attire being more restrictive than the armor, but after reminding herself about certain lessons she had been forced to endure while growing up she found herself again moving as a lady should, and her difficultly with the dresses faded.

It helped her frame of mind that no one treated her with any less respect. The men did respond more gracefully, but they still obeyed every command. Terniff was actually scared of losing the comradery that she shared with the men. It was not until she took that excursion with her father and oldest brother that she found herself able to trade jokes with the military. She however found that it was not the change in attire that had caused her to relate to the men, but the change in topics. Terniff found that as long as she spoke of things that the men found interesting, they would speak to her in the same way that they spoke to each other. She found that the men around her did not care whether she wore her armor or a dress, but they continued to watch her and were ever quick to respond.

Renwyn still bothered her, but Terniff found herself becoming used to him. He had not been so forward around her during the war. She had come to sense that he had been frightened. She remembered him saying that he was less than a man, even as she had treated him as her special man. A change had come to him with his restoration, but Terniff still recognized him as the man she had rescued – only more intense. Renwyn still touched her in a certain manner, but he touched her often without any concern for who might be watching. He still obeyed her instructions, although now he voiced disapproval if she did not obey his. No longer was she the one to take the initiative, but his face would have an expression of insecurity if she was not nearby. Terniff found that she liked watching her husband, and liked being around him. Wearing a dress while having a strong arm of her husband around her, she found herself accepting that it was the proper place to be.

A voiced sounded from up in the riggings that caused Terniff to consider the situation. “Captain, there are a number of kevalla watching from the shore.”

“Aye, everyone loves to watch a contest. Any sign of opposition?”

“No, captain. The lake is calm and clear.”

“Do you think we could have good fishing?”

Terniff turned with her husband toward the captain of the vessel. That question concerned a topic that had not come up in any of the planning sessions. It thus came as a surprise that the captain would have such on his mind.

She quickly looked up seeing that was where the master of the vessel had his eyes set. The eyes of those in the riggings looked to a kevalla. Terniff knew that the reptilian people had been throwing lines over the side of the boat, which had provided them with meals. She had not been tracking who had the best reputation as a fishermen, but from the glances of the sailors she could tell that the men had noticed. One kevalla recognized that everyone waited to hear what his response would be.

“The bottom of the lake does drop off quickly. We could come in close to throw lines among the rushes.”

The captain looked to the couple as he asked, “What do you say, Lady Terniff? Should we give the appearance of being here on peaceful business?”

“No, Captain. We have kevalla among the crew that usually make their living fishing this lake. Of those watching from the shore, I would suspect that most of them make their living from the lake as well. While we might appear peaceful to the threat we are told is here, we could well show ourselves to be a threat to the natives at which we are at peace. If you want fish, buy them.”

Renwyn voiced his support. “Yes. While doing the business, we could gain recent information of any activity.”

The captain began asking the kevalla that he had among his crew if they recognized those on shore. Hearing affirmative replies, he instructed them to call to shore and put in an order for supplies as well as enough fish for the night’s meal. Some that had been putting lines into the river, so eating fish almost daily, complained, but most considered the words of the captain to assure a pleasant change in their diet.

As the actual noble in charge of the mission, Terniff found herself engaged with the transactions. Again she noticed that no one treated her with any less respect. She knew what goods were needed, or at least knew who to ask about such things. She knew about fishing and hunting. She thus could speak with authority, so all treated her as having authority even though she wore a dress.

Renwyn did not bother her as she spoke to the kevalla. He worked with the soldiers to assure that the diversion with the locals did not open up an opportunity for the ghost ship to close upon them. Terniff smiled as she turned to check on her man and found him up in the riggings.

She learned from the kevalla that they did expect the ghost ship to attack. While they did admit that most appearances had some correlation to the movement of the moons, many told stories of unexpected encounters at other times. For every warning to be aware of thick fog, another spoke of seeing the ancient pirate ship in clear weather. Terniff came to the conclusion to simply keep the crew alert.

An argument did break out when the kevalla asked about particulars of the ship being present. While they appreciated an attempt to remove the threat to their fishing on the lake, they did not want to lose one problem and simply gain another. The local fishermen did not want others, especially large ships, intruding on their territory. Terniff only managed to silence them because she had summoned them to buy their produce. In threatening to actually have her crew gain the meat for their evening meal, the kevalla calmly went back to discussing trade.

Having finished transacting business, she left the handling of goods to the captain and his crew. Moving to the foredeck, she saw her husband come down from the riggings. As she looked over the lake, the expected strong touch of his hands came to her. Turning to face her husband, she felt one hand slide around her hips to press in where there was nothing to grab, but feeling a pressure there still disturbed her. Terniff however smiled with the acceptance that this man could touch her wherever he desired, and kissed him to state to all others that she would not deny his handling of her.

Having been up in the riggings, he had to ask, “Did you learn anything important?”

“I am going to have to look at the map, but I believe the place Telelum pointed to is the same place the kevalla spoke about.”

Renwyn moved to look over the side of the boat, then turned back to say, “If it is there, it will probably be deep.”

Terniff put one of her hands on his butt as he said, “I am sure that you can slide down deep enough.”

He did not turn to cause her hand to move, but only twisted his neck to enable one eye to look at her as he said, “You did that a lot in our early days of being together.”

She thought back to the first few days of having Renwyn in her possession. She had taken him with the spoken attention of caring for the man. She had, and remembered that it was in response to her tending to the damage done to his body that the situation occurred where more than simply washing and treating his manhood had happened. The act was something a lady was not supposed to perform until married, but with him unable to produce seed she had not worried about the affection. While some concern for her worth as a lady did enter her mind, Terniff removed certain garments wanting to experience something about herself she had yet to learn. She remembered thoroughly enjoying the sensations, and afterwards doing things around Renwyn letting him know that she would expect to continue to provide such personal care to his person. Remembering those early days in her relationship, she asked a question of the man.

“Is that why you touch me so boldly?”

“No, I touch you because you are a beautiful lady and I can. I know others are watching, but I am glad to be your husband. You are mine to touch, and I want all to know that I do.”

She already knew that fact, but his response had come due to her turning the situation around. “So, are you embarrassed that I touch you?”

“No. I am your husband, so yours to touch. I was embarrassed in those first few days with you, because then I felt we needed to be discrete. Now that I am restored, and I am truly able to be your husband, I have found it strange to miss having your touch.”

“Then it was play, Renwyn. Now, I feel my body respond to your presence. I feel my body signaling that my place with you has changed, and I have been working through the steps to become adjusted to that.”

“I understand, Terniff. I however am not going to allow myself to be treated as a cast off toy. You said all during the war and on the journey to Mardon that you would accept me. You told your brothers that you would accept me. Now that you have accepted me, I expect to have my place with you. That means that I am going to keep touching you. However, I also want actions from you that state you still enjoy having access to me.”

Her hands moved up to the layer of metal covering his powerful upper body as she replied, “Having access to you? My lord, I am now wearing a dress. It is much easier to have access with me.”

His body continued to bend over the railing, although his tone had a playful quality telling the lady that he was enjoying the conversation. “All that cloth gets in the way. I preferred you in armor, because then you had to remove what surrounded you.”

“I am sorry, my lord, but as a lady I am supposed to wear these dresses. When we return to your land, I suspect that I will almost never wear my armor again.”

Those words caused the man to lift his form. She watched as he looked over her body. An arm then went around her. He did not hug her. A hand did not go where only he could touch. He simply stood next to her. Terniff did not know what he was doing or thinking, but quietly waited for him to speak.

“I am scared of returning home as well. I am enjoying this part of my life. Brigallick is rather boring. That is why I am hoping for something to happen.”

Terniff found herself unable to make sense of the words, “You mean that you hope to see the pirate ship?”

“No, but yeah.” She received the impression from his features that he hoped the ghost ship would be sighted so that he would not have to say more. “Let me simply say that I have been alone. I gained my knighthood due to my success on a number of adventures, but I continued to travel and seek danger even after gaining nobility. I fought the war with your people, and now I am in your land. I haven’t been home in a long time, and I cannot say that I miss it. I did send a message home before we left for Helshain, and I constantly worry about what words I used.”

“It will be all right, Renwyn. I am sure that meeting your parents will be a calmer occasion than when I bring you into Sekurd.”

“Calmer, maybe, but I still believe that I am going to like your brothers. I am not that certain about you with my family.”

“As long as I have you at my side, or within my touch, I will be all right.”

Now he had his hand drop to again put pressure where no one else could as he said, “Then you better not ever complain.”


Axiste finally returns to Kaervel and his excavation of the castle.