"Eyes on me," he said as he parried, then brought his waster down in a slow cross for her to parry. They were circling slowly, alternating cross swings and parries. She had progressed well over their last few sessions and today he was going to break her bad habit of watching the swords. And wincing every time they connected.
They continued in the circle, her eyes slowly drifting back to the swords. As she parried he reached out with his other hand and nudged her shoulder firmly to throw her off balance. She stepped back and her eyes snapped to him, her expression indignant.
"The sword is not your opponent, I am," he instructed.
She blinked a few times in irritation and sighed. "It's really hard to remember everything at once."
"Don't think so much. Just go through the motions and keep your eyes on me. I won't do anything to surprise you."
She raised her eyebrows and he added with a smirk, "Unless you look away."
She readied herself to start again, the corner of her mouth curling up. "If I didn't know better I might think you just like my attention."
"Would you focus better if I told that I do?" he replied as he swung at her. Her eyes widened and cheeks flushed, but to her credit she still managed to parry.
Well, that backfired, Vanya thought as she crossed, keeping her eyes on his face, trying to will away the blush she knew was evident on her own. She focused on controlling her breathing and the wild beating of her heart, the clack of the wasters barely registering as they circled. The routine went on for a few more rounds and he started to speed up. She was tempted to look to the swords, the speed making her uneasy but she hung on to his assurance that he would not surprise her. Her arm and shoulders began to burn and she pushed through it, fixated on crimson eyes behind which the clouds began to blur. Cross, parry, cross, parry, cross, parry. Suddenly he switched the direction of his swing and she quickly twisted her arm to parry the other way, immediately halting with a glare as he grinned.
"I thought you weren't going to surprise me?" she hissed.
He raised his brow at her, still smiling. "Did I?"
The realization of what he'd done dawned on her and she raised her finger in his face. "You...you..." She tried to be angry but a smile crept across her lips instead. She'd read his body language without even thinking about it. She paced away and then turned, pointing the sword at him, laughing, "You don't play fair."
He opened his arms arrogantly. "It's why I'm still alive."
She sauntered toward him with a cheeky grin, the tip of the sword dragging on the ground. Turnabout is fair play. He lowered his arms and looked down his nose at her as she stood in front of him.
"Are we finished for today, Sensei?" she asked sweetly.
He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Depends. Is that an insult?"
She pushed the handle of the waster to his chest. When he put his hand over it she drew hers away and looked up at him through her lashes. "It means 'Master'."
He showed no reaction except a deep bobbing of his adam's apple as he swallowed and she knew she'd succeeded. She quelled the urge to mock his speechlessness and quickly brushed past him toward the gate. She didn't dare look back, already feeling embarrassed as she gained distance. What came over me just now?
Once she got out of the training yard she picked up her pace, laughing and scolding herself at the same time for her reckless behavior. She might have just ruined any chance for future lessons but wiping that smug grin off his face had been worth it.
Hot. His entire body tingled, very aware of the cloth against his skin and the weight of his armor. He might actually catch fire if he stood there any longer so he dropped the swords and made his way to the barracks to douse himself with a bucket of water. He'd forced himself to stand still when she was in front of him because any movement he would have made would have involved ruthlessly tearing her clothes from her body. He groaned painfully at the thought as he burst through the door, making a beeline for the washroom.
Teldryn left the barracks, relieved but not at all satisfied. He may never tease Vanya again. She didn't even have to try to spark his desire, but when she turned on the charm he was rendered a witless savage. He wasn't sure what her full intentions were with her actions but he knew himself. He could not act on his lust for her, no matter how crippling it was. It would ruin everything.
As he neared the market he looked at the doors of the Netch and decided against going inside just yet. He turned instead toward Glover's forge.
He dragged a chair out from under the awning toward the wall facing the market and sat down, reaching for his pipe to begin preparing it.
"Good day, Teldryn. Make yourself at home," the blacksmith chuckled as he looked up from his workbench.
Teldryn grunted as he lit the pipe, taking a long draw. Glover went back to his work and Teldryn blew smoke through his teeth as he listened to the even droning sound of the man's hammer against metal.
What was happening to him? The intensity of his need for her weighed on him like an anchor. It was physical, oh yes, but it went beyond. Even now, after her cruel teasing, he knew he would suffer being near her just to see her smile. "It's fucking madness," he muttered sullenly.
A sudden gust of wind whipped a dusting of ash over his face. As he pulled the tip of the pipe from his mouth and used his cowl to wipe the grit from his lips and eyes, he swore to himself that someday he'd leave this gods-damned ash pit for good. He certainly had the means, it was a wonder he hadn't done it already.
When he opened his eyes, Niyya was passing by in front of him with a sly look. "Hey Teldryn," she greeted before approaching Glover to plant a kiss on his cheek. The blacksmith paused his work and grabbed her chin to return the kiss on her lips. Much more of that and Teldryn was going to find a new place to smoke.
"So..." Niyya said, turning to him with an arched brow. "Training went well this morning? I kept catching Vanya grinning to herself and she wouldn't tell me why."
Teldryn lifted his eyes to her, squinting in disbelief at her insufferable prying. To keep himself from saying something rude to her in front of Glover he shoved the tip of his pipe in his mouth, inhaling deeply.
Smoke was rising from his mouth between them by the time she realized she was not going to get a response and she rolled her eyes. "Fine. I really don't understand you two," she groused, stamping a foot as she turned away.
"Leave him alone, honey bee," Glover said tenderly.
Teldryn dumped the tobacco and got to his feet having endured quite enough. He stashed his pipe and stalked in the direction of the south shore. When did this place become so suffocating?
He placed his helmet on his head and pulled up his cowl as he left the market, magicka pooling in his fingers. He was going to find something to burn.
"Oh! Teldryn, dear!"
He stopped and closed his eyes. Had it been anyone but Milore he would have soundly ignored them. He turned around to see the small woman approaching him and he tried not to scowl even though she could not see his face.
"I hoped I'd see you today," she said. "Are you heading toward the Iggnir any time soon?"
Suddenly, he was very glad she'd stopped him. "Needing more Netch jelly?"
"Indeed. And anything else you might come across while you're out," she replied, reaching out to give his elbow a squeeze. "You always do such a good job."
The small gesture and the promise of a distraction calmed him considerably and he looked down at her fondly, bowing his head. "My pleasure, sera."
It was growing late in the lunch hour and Vanya could not help but notice she had not received a familiar order to prepare. When Geldis walked into the kitchen to toss a few dirty plates in the wash bucket she considered asking him if Teldryn was in the tavern, but she quickly squashed the desire. It was silly to be so concerned when she'd just seen him a couple of hours prior. She had never known him to miss a meal so he must have just ordered something different today. Another thing she had never known him to do.
A little later when lunch orders had tapered off, she ventured out to the bar and bit her lip when she saw that his table was empty. He must be in his room or out in the market smoking...
She was pretty sure he would not have gone to the south shore to practice his magic. He did not normally do that on sparring days. She drummed her fingers on the counter, an uneasy feeling settling over her. It could not be a coincidence that he was nowhere to be seen after the way she'd teased him this morning. Had she overdone it?
Geldis appeared from the hallway, jutting his thumb over his shoulder as he crossed the room. "Three, eight, and eleven need linens changed. I'll start dishes," he said as he paused to collect a few empty plates from an abandoned table.
She nodded and went to the storeroom to retrieve clean linens, then headed for room three. As she passed Teldryn's room she had to suppress the urge to knock on the door. If he was in there, she had no good reason to be knocking so it would not help things. She huffed and made quick work of the three rooms, tossing the soiled linens out into the hallway as she did each one. By the time she came back through to gather them up, any good humor she'd had was thoroughly soured. She stopped again in front of his door, glaring at it as if it were him standing in front of her.
If that stupid man was in there avoiding her because he could dish it out but couldn't take it then he deserved whatever discomfort he was in. She stalked away with a glower. When she reached the storeroom she tossed the linens roughly into the dirty basket and came back out to help Geldis with the dishes. She plunged her hands into the rinse bucket and started pulling out plates, stacking them on the counter.
With how often Teldryn teased her, she was nearly in a state of constant blushing. She teased him one time and suddenly things were weird? No, she was not going to play that game.
"Vanya, perhaps try to keep some of the water in the bucket?" Geldis said, pulling her from her thoughts. She looked down and realized how much she'd been splashing.
"Gods," she sighed. "You're right. I'm making a mess." She grabbed a towel and tossed it on the floor to sop up some of the water and went back to rinsing, more attentively this time.
Perhaps she really had overdone it. Her movements slowed as she remembered their conversation on the beach a couple of weeks prior. He had said he only sought friendship, what if she'd freaked him out? She had only been playing this morning, she thought in the same manner that he was. This was exactly what she had been afraid of. She'd given him the wrong impression.
The plate in her hand slipped back into the water. She didn't know what she would say to him, but suddenly she had an overwhelming urge to see him. She needed to make sure they were okay.
"Vanya?" Geldis said gently. "Are you alright?"
She turned wide eyes on him. "Have you seen Teldryn?"
"Not since he came through and picked up his pack, why?"
"His pack?" she squeaked, her stomach churning. "He left?"
Geldis started nodding and before he could utter a sound she cried, "Where did he go?" Every time Teldryn had left, he'd been gone for months. Had a new employer arrived and hired him away?
"I don't know," he replied as he scrutinized her. "But Vanya, he'll be back soon. He didn't turn in his key."
She put her hands on her cheeks, wincing when she felt her fingers were still wet. She grabbed a towel and dried them, then her face. Geldis must be right, Teldryn had to be returning soon. If not, he would have surely said goodbye. Right?
She took a deep breath, not fully understanding why tears were gathering in her eyes. She blinked in frustration, wiping her eyes with the towel as they spilled over.
"Oh dear..." Geldis muttered.
"S-sorry..." she said tremulously. "I...I..." She was trying to say she was alright but she couldn't push any words past the lump in her throat.
"No, no," Geldis interrupted her and rested his hands on her shoulders, giving a light squeeze. "Perhaps you should lie down, child. I can finish up here."
She frowned, wanting to protest. She was upset that Teldryn had left, of course, but the intensity of her reaction was nearly upsetting her more.
"Go on," Geldis ordered, giving her a nudge toward the sleeping quarter.
She gave in and simply nodded, shuffling away as more disconcerting tears clouded her vision. Her head was pounding by the time she fell into her bed and she clumsily reached for the drawer of her side table, blindly rifling for her stamina potion. Her fingers closed around the neck and she popped the cork then tipped the bottle to her mouth. It was empty.
With the final thread of her composure snapped, she threw the bottle down on the bed and shoved her face into her pillow to muffle her scream.
