Well after an impossibly long hiatus I'm back... sort of. This chapter has been stuck for months and in the hope that someone out there will be able to help me I've decided to post what I've managed to write so far. It's really depressing, coz chapter three's practically written in my head but I won't write it until I've finished this one. Ok, the problem is; I've got "No" idea how to get Jim's group inside Warlord Sartes's stronghold. I do know that I want their entry to be explained as some sort of official business, but I have no clue what that business could be.
Plz, plz I'm begging you. If anyone out there reads this and has any idea how to solve this painful situation plz Email me and help!!
I just want to say thankyou to Heather, IcyFire, Tlyna, Malantha Knight, Jigglychu and all the others who reviewed my fic. Levittion, my fic is your fic *g* just plz send me the addy so I can visit.
Again I apologise for how long it took to post this and repeat my begging for help!
******************************************************
THEN THERE WAS FRIENDSHIP
Part 2
~*~*~*~*~*~
Long auburn curls were pushed back by a languid hand as sapphire blue eyes opened reluctantly, blinking slowly in an effort to clear away the remaining vestiges of sleep.
The slim figure seemed dwarfed by the huge, canopy bed which took up the bulk of the room. The silk sheets hugged his lithe form lovingly as the human born angel briefly considered rising, before dismissing the idea. It was doubtful that his host would be making an appearance anytime soon if the enraged bellowing, which had followed his embarrassing recapture during last night's escape attempt was to be believed. There were no acolytes around to bully him for his natural tardiness, nor were any bad tempered priests sent to roust him from his bed with surmons of blasphemy and doom towards the lazy and slothful when the acolytes failed to succeed. So there was no real reason for him to haul himself from his comfortable nest. Though why Athena, who's time was the night and moon lit glades, required her followers to be up and at their various chores at the crack of dawn had never made sense to him no matter how often it was explained.
Shivering in the slight chill of the room, Blair decided to forgo confronting his natural nemesis, the morning. Pulling the covers over his head he snuggled down into the warm cavern and closed his eyes, fully intending to forget about his current circumstances and enjoy the never-before-his-kidnapping experience of sleeping in late.
It occurred to him briefly that he should not feel as in ease in his kidnappers possession as he did. Indeed it had been this very fact which had been the motivation behind his doomed escape attempt. Nevertheless, ever since he had been forcibly taken from the damaged temple dedicated to Athena which had been his home for the last seventeen years he had felt almost at ease. It was though an oppressive cloud had been surrounding him since his birth. A cloud he had never been aware of until it had slowly lifted the further he got from the temple, until it vanished completely. Even the nightmares and constant sense of forbodding had dissipated upon his arrival at the Warlords stronghold.
Despite being greatly confused by this result, Blair could not help but be relieved by it. His regular, nightly prayers to Athena had done nothing to answer the multitude of questions he struggled to keep at bay. Curiously, he had been sent no vision of what was expected of him and had received no visitation from the Queen of Heaven since he had entered the thick stone walls of the keep.
His captors had refused to answer any questions, no matter how they were addressed, be it politely or in the middle of a screaming tantrum. Aside from daily visit from his host, a meeting in which little was said and seemed to consist of Lord Sartes doing nothing more then study him, occasionally reaching out to touch his hand or stroke his thick auburn curls, before the Warlord would storm from the room in seeming frustration. Disturbed by this behaviour, Blair was at a loss to explain, even to himself why the Warlords actions made him so uncomfortable. At first the visits had frightened him, dreading the next as the current one ended. However when nothing more harrowing then a touch had resulted from these daily visits, he had relaxed over them, accepting them and his hosts strange behaviour, as he had already accepted so much in his short life, as the will of the Gods. Apart from these visits, he had been allowed to occupy his days as he would, as long as he did not try to leave the keeps main building and stayed within eyesight of his guards.
Just as he was slipping into a light doze, the decision to sleep in was taken out of his hands when the door to his room was flung open with enough force to send it slamming against the wall behind it.
Blair shot up, flinging the covers protectively around his shoulder. He stared apprehensively at the thick curtains which surrounded the bed on all sides, blocking the view of the door.
"Blair!" a familiar voice boomed as heavy footsteps approached from outside of the shielding curtains.
Gasping in relief, the young shaman fought to regain control of his racing heartbeat even as he struggled to free himself from the choke hold the bed sheets had taken on him. The curtains were wrenched apart to reveal a huge, bear of a man to the boys wide-eyed, but smiling gaze.
"Ullic!" Successfully freeing his arms, Blair captured one large paw in both his own as the other man used his free hand to tousle his thick curls.
Ullic, Warlord Sartes's nephew and Captain of his personal bodyguard was a huge man. Six and a half feet tall and every inch heavily muscled. His long red hair only partially successfully contained in a loose ponytail reaching to just below his shoulders and was matched with a surprisingly neatly cropped and maintained beard and mustach. Intelligent brown eyes twinkled merrily and full lips which always seemed to be smiling as though Ullic was privy to some joke which no one else knew.
Carrying no weapons, dressed in soft, black leather pants and a loose white shirt adorned with the horse and oak crest of Sartes's family, Ullic gave the impression of being newly risen. Frowning at the sight of Blair's pale features and wide sapphire eyes, he immediately dropped down to sit beside him on the bed with a contrite look.
"'Atch, apologies little one. I keep forgetting that you were raised in a peaceful temple, not this noisy fort like I was."
Blair grinned in relief as the red head reached for him, but was unable to contain the yelp of surprise when Ullic hauled him, blankets and all, into his lap. Unable to forget the teachings of his virginal goddess, Blair sat stiffly on Ullic's lap while the warrior smoothed his curls and stroked his back comfortingly. Fighting the urge to simply relax and enjoy the never before experienced embrace.
In the temple he had been forbidden to allow anyone to see him. Especially any of the many worshippers who came to pay homage to the favourite daughter of Zeus. The result being a lonely childhood, with only himself, the priests and a few acolytes for company. The priests, while wise and willing to teach him as much as he would learn, did not have the time nor the inclination to care for him as a family would. The acolytes on the other hand had mostly, been jealouse of the favour Athena bestowed upon him. Those few that did more then merely tolerate him were more often then not chasing the favour of their beloved deity.
Subsequently, Blair found himself defenceless against the gentle care and seeming affection Ullic had bestowed upon him from the very first. The Captain had been assigned as his primary guard when he had arrived at Sartes's stronghold and had immediately tried to reassure the terrified young man that he was safe. While Ullic refused to divulge why he had been kidnapped, the gentle giant had quickly managed to become Blair's only friend.
Starved for affection, Blair's empathic nature had him turning into the older mans chest like a starving man to food. No one in his eighteen years had shown as much care and consideration towards him as this warrior had in the weeks since his kidnapping.
"Do not fear me little-one. I'm not meant for you. Though the one who is, gets constantly closer. You'll be together soon."
Frowning in confusion to the meaning behind the criptive words, Blair looked up into the older mans face, startled to find Ullic not looking at him, but instead seeming to stare at something only he could see. For the first time since Blair had met him, his brown eyes seemed lost and sad. Not bothering to voice the questions clamouring for attention in his head, they would only be ignored if he asked them anyway, Blair settled back into the other mans embrace. Shivering at the strange thought that he felt safer wrapped in the arms of a virtual stranger, then he ever had in the cold halls of Athena's temple.
~*~
"I'm telling you. Horses were created by the Roman's, as the ultimate in slow torture!"
Jim grinned as Henri Brown's latest complaint reached his sensitive ears. They were about a half days ride from Warlord Sartes' stronghold and Brown seemed intent on complaining about their transportation for every minute of it.
One of a very few sentinels who felt comfortable living in a big city, Brown had raised himself on the rough streets of Eretria. Living by his wits and his skill at the ancient art of thievery, and only surviving because Jim had stumbled across him asleep, hidden in his temple and had seen the potential in the foul mouthed gutter rat. Potential which had been more then reached by the six foot four, dark skinned man currently sitting awkwardly on the back of one of Simon's best thoroughbred war horses. His lack of horsemanship not withstanding.
"Yes, and if that failed they then turn to members of your family to attack the ear drums of the poor prisoners." Brian Rafe shot back, reaching over to correct his sentinel's grip on the reins.
Equally as tall as his sentinel, Brian Rafe was the complete opposite in personality, taste and appearance. In fact they were so different that when Brown had proudly introduced the man as his guide, Jim had wanted to call him a liar. Only their obviously entangled souls had allowed him to believe what they were telling him.
Born to a life of privilege and idleness as great as Brown's was poor, Brian Rafe was the perfect partner to Henri's brash, casual manner. A handsome man, possessing brown hair and eyes, Brian was the youngest son of a powerful city official in Eretria. He and Brown had meet when, on his sixteenth birthday, Rafe had been kidnapped by members of Eretria's thieves guild. Brown, only two years older at the time, had been unable to stand by and watch as the young boy was assaulted while in the care of his kidnappers. Using the only type of honour understood by street toughs, Brown had challenged the leader of Rafe's kidnappers for possession of the boy, eventually defeating the kidnapper after a vicious fight. As in the usual manner between a sentinel and guide pairing who were fortunate enough to meet young, both youth's abilities had developed simultaneously, and without any need for personal trauma or force, they had bonded. In essence a perfect bonding.
"Nope." Brown countered smoothly, shrugging off his guide's hands. "They employed you so you could nag them to death."
Snorting, Rafe ignored him with the ease of long practice. Automatically, Jim's gaze moved to the final person in their party. Riding a dun mare, and talking quietly with Simon, Steven was similar to Jim in looks. Tall with flat, though powerful muscles, he had thick strawberry blond hair which he wore loose, reaching to his shoulders. Like Jim, he had inherited the ice blue eyes and strong jaw from their mutual father, but where Jim's face was expressionless, Steven's face was open and easy going, rarely to seen without a carefree smile.
At just twenty seven years, Steven was old to be unbonded, but guides did not need to bond the same way that sentinels did. Indeed, a guide could go their entire lives and never find the sentinel that they were destined to guide. Unlike the sentinel whose senses would eventually spiral irrevocably out of control until either madness or death resulted.
Jim felt himself frown at the thought. There had been a time, when several of the pantheon had hoped that Steven would prove to be his long awaited guide, but it wasn't to be. He had never felt anything but brotherly affection for the young demi-god. Which was no doubt a relief to both of them. Even so, they both still had to deal with Aprodite's continuous efforts to remedy the situation. Interfering, yet lovable sister that she was.
Gently urging the ebony stallion he was riding closer to the dun mare, Jim grinned at the continuing mock-argument between the young pairing behind him, his brother just in time to see the wistful expression on Stephen's face. He was forcefully reminded that he wasn't the only one missing that vital part of himself.
Evidently Simon had also caught the expression on the young guides face for reaching out easily he grasped hold of Steven's shoulder in a comforting grip. "Trust me lad, we're more trouble then we're worth."
"Oh, I don't think Apollo would agree with you." Steven object lightly.
Joining the conversation, Jim snorted. "No, Apollo would agree. We're nothing but over protective, repressed, anal retentive pains in the arse."
Steven burst into laughter at their often lamented chorus, and Jim sighed. So far Simon had been visited by Apollo every night since they had left Olympus. It wouldn't be until they actually reached Sartes's stronghold that the sentinel and guide pairing would truly be parted.
Plz, plz I'm begging you. If anyone out there reads this and has any idea how to solve this painful situation plz Email me and help!!
I just want to say thankyou to Heather, IcyFire, Tlyna, Malantha Knight, Jigglychu and all the others who reviewed my fic. Levittion, my fic is your fic *g* just plz send me the addy so I can visit.
Again I apologise for how long it took to post this and repeat my begging for help!
******************************************************
THEN THERE WAS FRIENDSHIP
Part 2
~*~*~*~*~*~
Long auburn curls were pushed back by a languid hand as sapphire blue eyes opened reluctantly, blinking slowly in an effort to clear away the remaining vestiges of sleep.
The slim figure seemed dwarfed by the huge, canopy bed which took up the bulk of the room. The silk sheets hugged his lithe form lovingly as the human born angel briefly considered rising, before dismissing the idea. It was doubtful that his host would be making an appearance anytime soon if the enraged bellowing, which had followed his embarrassing recapture during last night's escape attempt was to be believed. There were no acolytes around to bully him for his natural tardiness, nor were any bad tempered priests sent to roust him from his bed with surmons of blasphemy and doom towards the lazy and slothful when the acolytes failed to succeed. So there was no real reason for him to haul himself from his comfortable nest. Though why Athena, who's time was the night and moon lit glades, required her followers to be up and at their various chores at the crack of dawn had never made sense to him no matter how often it was explained.
Shivering in the slight chill of the room, Blair decided to forgo confronting his natural nemesis, the morning. Pulling the covers over his head he snuggled down into the warm cavern and closed his eyes, fully intending to forget about his current circumstances and enjoy the never-before-his-kidnapping experience of sleeping in late.
It occurred to him briefly that he should not feel as in ease in his kidnappers possession as he did. Indeed it had been this very fact which had been the motivation behind his doomed escape attempt. Nevertheless, ever since he had been forcibly taken from the damaged temple dedicated to Athena which had been his home for the last seventeen years he had felt almost at ease. It was though an oppressive cloud had been surrounding him since his birth. A cloud he had never been aware of until it had slowly lifted the further he got from the temple, until it vanished completely. Even the nightmares and constant sense of forbodding had dissipated upon his arrival at the Warlords stronghold.
Despite being greatly confused by this result, Blair could not help but be relieved by it. His regular, nightly prayers to Athena had done nothing to answer the multitude of questions he struggled to keep at bay. Curiously, he had been sent no vision of what was expected of him and had received no visitation from the Queen of Heaven since he had entered the thick stone walls of the keep.
His captors had refused to answer any questions, no matter how they were addressed, be it politely or in the middle of a screaming tantrum. Aside from daily visit from his host, a meeting in which little was said and seemed to consist of Lord Sartes doing nothing more then study him, occasionally reaching out to touch his hand or stroke his thick auburn curls, before the Warlord would storm from the room in seeming frustration. Disturbed by this behaviour, Blair was at a loss to explain, even to himself why the Warlords actions made him so uncomfortable. At first the visits had frightened him, dreading the next as the current one ended. However when nothing more harrowing then a touch had resulted from these daily visits, he had relaxed over them, accepting them and his hosts strange behaviour, as he had already accepted so much in his short life, as the will of the Gods. Apart from these visits, he had been allowed to occupy his days as he would, as long as he did not try to leave the keeps main building and stayed within eyesight of his guards.
Just as he was slipping into a light doze, the decision to sleep in was taken out of his hands when the door to his room was flung open with enough force to send it slamming against the wall behind it.
Blair shot up, flinging the covers protectively around his shoulder. He stared apprehensively at the thick curtains which surrounded the bed on all sides, blocking the view of the door.
"Blair!" a familiar voice boomed as heavy footsteps approached from outside of the shielding curtains.
Gasping in relief, the young shaman fought to regain control of his racing heartbeat even as he struggled to free himself from the choke hold the bed sheets had taken on him. The curtains were wrenched apart to reveal a huge, bear of a man to the boys wide-eyed, but smiling gaze.
"Ullic!" Successfully freeing his arms, Blair captured one large paw in both his own as the other man used his free hand to tousle his thick curls.
Ullic, Warlord Sartes's nephew and Captain of his personal bodyguard was a huge man. Six and a half feet tall and every inch heavily muscled. His long red hair only partially successfully contained in a loose ponytail reaching to just below his shoulders and was matched with a surprisingly neatly cropped and maintained beard and mustach. Intelligent brown eyes twinkled merrily and full lips which always seemed to be smiling as though Ullic was privy to some joke which no one else knew.
Carrying no weapons, dressed in soft, black leather pants and a loose white shirt adorned with the horse and oak crest of Sartes's family, Ullic gave the impression of being newly risen. Frowning at the sight of Blair's pale features and wide sapphire eyes, he immediately dropped down to sit beside him on the bed with a contrite look.
"'Atch, apologies little one. I keep forgetting that you were raised in a peaceful temple, not this noisy fort like I was."
Blair grinned in relief as the red head reached for him, but was unable to contain the yelp of surprise when Ullic hauled him, blankets and all, into his lap. Unable to forget the teachings of his virginal goddess, Blair sat stiffly on Ullic's lap while the warrior smoothed his curls and stroked his back comfortingly. Fighting the urge to simply relax and enjoy the never before experienced embrace.
In the temple he had been forbidden to allow anyone to see him. Especially any of the many worshippers who came to pay homage to the favourite daughter of Zeus. The result being a lonely childhood, with only himself, the priests and a few acolytes for company. The priests, while wise and willing to teach him as much as he would learn, did not have the time nor the inclination to care for him as a family would. The acolytes on the other hand had mostly, been jealouse of the favour Athena bestowed upon him. Those few that did more then merely tolerate him were more often then not chasing the favour of their beloved deity.
Subsequently, Blair found himself defenceless against the gentle care and seeming affection Ullic had bestowed upon him from the very first. The Captain had been assigned as his primary guard when he had arrived at Sartes's stronghold and had immediately tried to reassure the terrified young man that he was safe. While Ullic refused to divulge why he had been kidnapped, the gentle giant had quickly managed to become Blair's only friend.
Starved for affection, Blair's empathic nature had him turning into the older mans chest like a starving man to food. No one in his eighteen years had shown as much care and consideration towards him as this warrior had in the weeks since his kidnapping.
"Do not fear me little-one. I'm not meant for you. Though the one who is, gets constantly closer. You'll be together soon."
Frowning in confusion to the meaning behind the criptive words, Blair looked up into the older mans face, startled to find Ullic not looking at him, but instead seeming to stare at something only he could see. For the first time since Blair had met him, his brown eyes seemed lost and sad. Not bothering to voice the questions clamouring for attention in his head, they would only be ignored if he asked them anyway, Blair settled back into the other mans embrace. Shivering at the strange thought that he felt safer wrapped in the arms of a virtual stranger, then he ever had in the cold halls of Athena's temple.
~*~
"I'm telling you. Horses were created by the Roman's, as the ultimate in slow torture!"
Jim grinned as Henri Brown's latest complaint reached his sensitive ears. They were about a half days ride from Warlord Sartes' stronghold and Brown seemed intent on complaining about their transportation for every minute of it.
One of a very few sentinels who felt comfortable living in a big city, Brown had raised himself on the rough streets of Eretria. Living by his wits and his skill at the ancient art of thievery, and only surviving because Jim had stumbled across him asleep, hidden in his temple and had seen the potential in the foul mouthed gutter rat. Potential which had been more then reached by the six foot four, dark skinned man currently sitting awkwardly on the back of one of Simon's best thoroughbred war horses. His lack of horsemanship not withstanding.
"Yes, and if that failed they then turn to members of your family to attack the ear drums of the poor prisoners." Brian Rafe shot back, reaching over to correct his sentinel's grip on the reins.
Equally as tall as his sentinel, Brian Rafe was the complete opposite in personality, taste and appearance. In fact they were so different that when Brown had proudly introduced the man as his guide, Jim had wanted to call him a liar. Only their obviously entangled souls had allowed him to believe what they were telling him.
Born to a life of privilege and idleness as great as Brown's was poor, Brian Rafe was the perfect partner to Henri's brash, casual manner. A handsome man, possessing brown hair and eyes, Brian was the youngest son of a powerful city official in Eretria. He and Brown had meet when, on his sixteenth birthday, Rafe had been kidnapped by members of Eretria's thieves guild. Brown, only two years older at the time, had been unable to stand by and watch as the young boy was assaulted while in the care of his kidnappers. Using the only type of honour understood by street toughs, Brown had challenged the leader of Rafe's kidnappers for possession of the boy, eventually defeating the kidnapper after a vicious fight. As in the usual manner between a sentinel and guide pairing who were fortunate enough to meet young, both youth's abilities had developed simultaneously, and without any need for personal trauma or force, they had bonded. In essence a perfect bonding.
"Nope." Brown countered smoothly, shrugging off his guide's hands. "They employed you so you could nag them to death."
Snorting, Rafe ignored him with the ease of long practice. Automatically, Jim's gaze moved to the final person in their party. Riding a dun mare, and talking quietly with Simon, Steven was similar to Jim in looks. Tall with flat, though powerful muscles, he had thick strawberry blond hair which he wore loose, reaching to his shoulders. Like Jim, he had inherited the ice blue eyes and strong jaw from their mutual father, but where Jim's face was expressionless, Steven's face was open and easy going, rarely to seen without a carefree smile.
At just twenty seven years, Steven was old to be unbonded, but guides did not need to bond the same way that sentinels did. Indeed, a guide could go their entire lives and never find the sentinel that they were destined to guide. Unlike the sentinel whose senses would eventually spiral irrevocably out of control until either madness or death resulted.
Jim felt himself frown at the thought. There had been a time, when several of the pantheon had hoped that Steven would prove to be his long awaited guide, but it wasn't to be. He had never felt anything but brotherly affection for the young demi-god. Which was no doubt a relief to both of them. Even so, they both still had to deal with Aprodite's continuous efforts to remedy the situation. Interfering, yet lovable sister that she was.
Gently urging the ebony stallion he was riding closer to the dun mare, Jim grinned at the continuing mock-argument between the young pairing behind him, his brother just in time to see the wistful expression on Stephen's face. He was forcefully reminded that he wasn't the only one missing that vital part of himself.
Evidently Simon had also caught the expression on the young guides face for reaching out easily he grasped hold of Steven's shoulder in a comforting grip. "Trust me lad, we're more trouble then we're worth."
"Oh, I don't think Apollo would agree with you." Steven object lightly.
Joining the conversation, Jim snorted. "No, Apollo would agree. We're nothing but over protective, repressed, anal retentive pains in the arse."
Steven burst into laughter at their often lamented chorus, and Jim sighed. So far Simon had been visited by Apollo every night since they had left Olympus. It wouldn't be until they actually reached Sartes's stronghold that the sentinel and guide pairing would truly be parted.