Hello again Folks ^O^
Sorry that this update came a pit later then usualy, but to be honest I had an smalled broblem how to write this chapter, but now it's out ;P
Enjoy ;D
LOVE IN THEIR EYES I
A fragile but beautiful snowflakes were softly falling down from the cloud-cowered sky; covering the Jerall Mountains in white sheet and while its beauty was breath-taking to outlookers, it brought the danger to ones travelling through the mountain roads, hiding the dangers under the soft snow.
No one that lived in those mountains wasn't stupid enough to go outside or try their luck in the roads while the snow covered the ground and the thickly falling snow kept them seeing more then their own noses all the while the cold breeze blew.
But there were those, who were outside in that weather; desperate to reach their destinations.
Near the city of Bruma, on the top of a high mountain stood an ancient Cloud Ruler Temple where the Order Of Blades- emperor's most faithful swords and bodyguards, stayed and on the courtyard of that ancient temple; near the outer wall, stood a man wrapped in bluish-grey robes while his brown hair danced with the breeze of a gentle wind.
He was freezing and it could be seen.
His cold hands were rubbing themselves for warmth. Some of the feel of his face had already gone and his breath was vapored from coldness of the air while some end-strands of his brown locks were a little pit frosted, but he did not care while keeping his brown eyes fixated toward the winding mountain-road leading to the fortres' gates while a redguard man wearing a Blade armor stood next to him.
"You don't have to wait with me, Baurus." He stated to the man, never taking his eyes off the road that he had been staring like a hawk for days.
"I know, my lord." The Redguard saw him frown to his reply from the edge of his vision and it made him inwardly grin. He knew he hated it when he called him that, but it was the truth.
He was the last heir to Dragon Throne and there was duties waiting for him, but he could understand his distaste toward it. He had been mere priest and farmers son just a few weeks ago and now all this was throwh to him and everyone excpected him to smile and do what was told.
A small breeze made his thoughts halt and he rolled his shoulders to keep them a pit warmer, before starting to rub his hands as the young priest had been doing for a while now seeing that he had been out here for hours now.
"You sure you don't want me to fech thicker cloak with a hood on it?" He asked shakily while shuddering from cold.
The armor he wore didn't help and nether did the thin cloak the priest had on him while the cold wind blew and snow was falling down all while the coldness was creeping into their bones, but they kept waiting.
"She should have been here by now." He muttered and started to pace around near the wall, not hearing Baurus all the while muttering under his breath with frustrated voice and Baurus kept following the younger man with his eyes; finding his worry amusing with all knowing smile playing on his lips.
"Knowing her she stopped to help someone or two, you know." Baurus looked down toward the mountain road, knowing all too well that he made the warm smile cross the young imperials lips, before he himself grinned for what, or specifically who, he had spotted.
"And it looks like that your waiting is over, your majesty." At his words Martin almost ran over the edge and leaned to see; his eyes brightening noticeably and smile forming to his lips from recognizing the aproaching figure.
His eyes saw only a glimpse of the lone rider on top of a white horse that blended with the white snow surounding them and he all but ran to meet the figure that descended from her mount, before turning and being crushed against young priests chest; his arms circling around her small figure, desperate longing clear in his gesture, and she was clutching him in same manner while his head came to rest on top of hers, his nose burying itself in her white strands of hair while her face burried itself into his robes, inhaling his scent from it.
Baurus strode lazily after him and halted his steps while he wore a warm smile as he was looking down at the embracing pair from the steps, his arms crossed over his chest and his body leaning against the wall next to him.
Unlike Jauffre, he had found Martin's affection toward their little heroine amusing, even encouraging him to act on his emotions, and the way he would always blush every time she was mentioned or even when he thought of her and it amused him greatly when he would stand in guard and Martin who, instead of reading, was daydreaming about their blue-skinned and snow-haired friend with dreamy smile on his lips and a far-away look in his eyes.
It truly was interesting how she could make him a fumbling, lovestuck fool with one smile from her.
Baurus only chuckled at the reminisking he was doing and looked toward the couple that was now holding hands and exchanging sweet words and doe-eyed looks as if no one could see them and he silently send his thanks to gods that Jauffre wasn't here to see how the two person he considered to be his closest friends were acting like two youth with crush... even though it would have been entertaining to see him losing his cool demeanor.
He shook his head from the image and walked to meet up with them.
"I missed you terribly." Martin was murmuring softly into her ear while letting his thumps brush her cold skin with great care, gazing into her red eyes with all the longing he had felt through her absence. Neve looked at him through her thin, snow-white lashes with tiniest and shyest smile and through his palms, he could feel how hot her face had became at the minute he had embraced her.
"You bet you did." The familiar voice cut trough their daze and the couple looked toward their dark skinned friend, who had walked up to join them, silly grin etched onto his face while giving an greeting nod and welcoming smile toward Neve which she returned.
"You should have seen him, Neve." He chuckled amusedly, "he was realy moody and always patrolling over the wall just to see your return." He finished teasingly and she looked up to the priests face, small smile tugging on her lip, which now was red as evening sky and she smiled at the sight while he tried to hide his embarrassment and it made her own cheeks darken a little.
"I was worried when she left." he had a certain amound of defence in his tone, but Baurus could still detect the sligh warning in his tone to keep his mouth shut, but he was never the one to miss a good laugh when there was possibility for it.
"Ah." He said and looked him with mischevious grin, raising an eyebrow to him,"so that's the reason you kept your eyes specifically targeted onto her rear-end when she left?" Baurus let out s chortle and left, leaving the two of them flustered while he took his pleasure from their discomfort.
But he knew that they needed their time alone for now and he had already got most of his fun for the day, so he started his treck toward the great hall and it's brightly beaconing fireplace; fully intending to poke some fun from one of them or both of them before the moon was high.
When he had gone from their field of vision, and most of their embarasment had died down, but Martin still was spluttering with what to say after that revelation, fearing that he had offended her.
"I-I-," She pu her finger on his lips, stopping him.
"No need for apologize." She smiled softly to him,"it is kind a flattering." She smiled impishly to him, still managing to look innoscent, and he smiled to him, relief clear in his face.
Martin gave her a small peck on mouth and smiled with content to have her once again in his arms, before he saw the way her cheeks went darker, making his own smile widen.
He loved the way she looked when she was like this.
"Have I ever told you, how lovely you look when you blush?" He asked softly.
She didn't look at him, hiding her embracement by looking at the landscare, untill he reached for her cool cheek and cupped it with his hand, moving his fingers delicately over her soft skin, feeling its coldness.
Neve finaly looked up to his warm eyes with shyness that he found endearingly cute in a way that it made him chuckle while his other hand moved to cover her other cheek, his forehead desenting to rest against her own, while he kept on smiling contently.
"Lovely..." He murmured adoringly,"simply lovely… true divine vision." His loving words were filled with warmth while he gazed down at her and her small hands moved to cover his.
"Flatterer." She had certain playfulness in her soft tone, trying to hide her shyness with light humor with success.
This made his smile turn into playfull one too and he moved his hands around her small figure, once again wrapping her into warm and gentle hug filled with content and love and her arms wrapped around his neck; feeling the small locks of his hair between her fingertips and letting her fingers fiddle with the stray lock, making her let out small giggles from the tickling feeling.
Too soon they moved away from each other with their cold hands still joined together; their eyes holding each other's stare and after a small silence, she finaly spoke.
"Let's go inside. You're freezing." She rubbed her thumbs against his cold hand affectionately and he returned the gesture, before he pulled her hands up to breath warm air into them.
"You're too." He said and She reached to take the reins of her horse, before following Martin toward the steps, their hands never letting go.
"He wasn't kidding at all… I'm realy COLD!" Her voice had sertain whine that she didn't realy wish to have in her tone while she kept rubbing herself for warmth and giving Baurus some dirty looks, when he desided to snigger at her poor condition and she just huffed at him and kept warming herself up while trying to ignore the snickering man.
First Sir Thedret and now Baurus.
Aparantly, at the moment, all the redguards in Cyrodiil were against her.
"Laugh it up, Baurus." She grumbled at him, "ride in the rain and snow while it's cold for few days and don't be grumpy, when I'm the one to laugh at you." She declared shakily while trying to stop her shivering and she gave an audible sneeze.
She could not believe how her mood had gone from happy to foul so soon, but it as understandable in her current condition. Her trip hadn't been the most pleasent, but she had forgotten the foulness of it just for a one moment when Martin had emrazed her and crushed her against his welcoming warmth that soothed her frozen form.
Who would feel the coldness when wrapped in arms of an loving man who could make one's heart melt?
Speaking of the man he had gone to fetch some drier and warmer robes for himself and probably to have a warm bath too, considering that what Baurus had told her he had been outside for hours, which made soft smile come to her face while she rubbed small towel over her soaked hair, fiddling with the ends of the strands her fingers could reach.
'so caring' her thoughts were laced with dreaminess and it made her recal the first time she had seen him at Kvach, tending the sick and wounded with genuine care she didn't see often from anyone while holding that kind smile of his in the middle of all that chaos and destruction.
It wasn't often one could find such a kind and caring man.
While her mind was wandering, Baurus was looking at her like he had looked Martin with that same smile on his face; shaking his head to his friends and their shared, but stumbling, attraction toward each other's that reminded him a lot of young man and maiden near their adulthood.
It was quite sweet to watch and it made his heart warm. They were a good match in emotional level and with their shared interest toward literature and when one was considering both of their backgrounds, they were a good match too. Both of them were pushed into somehting becauser of a mere coincidence.
It just was sad Jauffre couldn't let those two be. While Neve was away, Jauffre kept bothering Martin; pestering him to end it with her, but Martin had some stubborness in him and he kept his ground against the older man's wishes and it had been a pit suprise. Martin was a agreeing man by nature and liked to find the solution fitting for both sides in argument, but with this he kept his own side.
He smirked at the thought.
Love truly was an strange thing.
There ya have it, folks and seeing that this chapter's name has an number one on it, it should already tell ya there will be next part for this two-part chapter.
Next chapter will be out soon people ^^
