[IC] Journey to the East

[Illumin0sity]

Noah’s gaze fluttered between Elann’s face and his hand smoothing up her thigh, slowly revealing her to him and the world since the wagon flaps were open and the light was so bright. Whether or not the people were staying away because of the light and the fear evoked by it, because they were setting themselves up for the night, or because they were hiding away in their own wagons until dinner, Noah was glad they weren’t bothering him or his bondmate. He could see her rising anxiety and tension at his teasing advance and it was all in a game for him, her reactions bringing him amusement.

Elann shot up and shoved his hand down, immediately bringing a grin to his face and a breath of laughter. She conceded defeat, requesting the journal. Noah stood up again, smiling in his victory as Elann rose to close the flaps to the wagon. He heard them come down, swatting at the air as they settled heavily over the entrance. Privacy was granted to couple as he retrieved her journal, coming back to the bench as she lie there still acting as if she was dying.

Noah squatted beside the bench again, near her head, and rose the journal up. “Read,” he commanded, lightly thunking her on the forehead with the binding of the book. “No kiss of any kind until you read to me.”

Noah’s voice was a little sterner, though the playful flirtation was still there. He was actually looking forward to hearing what she wrote about kissing him. He thought she had a way with words, her language was poet and colorful enough to encourage his vivid imagination to formulate the image she may or may not have been intending to paint.

[snelss0]

He laughed at her, causing her to squint threateningly toward him, but it was in her fun way where she tucked in the side of her mouth to chew on her cheek. Her dying throes did not persuade him and his stubbornness and eventual bonk on the head made her sort of pouty in defeat.

"Fine..." she returned to his stern rebuke and she took hold of the journal and cracked it open to the previous page she had written on that night.

"Why do his lips control me? Always they are in my mind. I have dreams of him just kissing me in the rain, in the storms, in our apartment, on our bed. If I didn't love them they would gnaw my thoughts to the death, but I do so love them. Their touch to me is like the wind on the trees, the spring grass to a deer, and the blanket of snow to a child's hand. They are more part of me than my own, and I long to feel them tomorrow...and the next day...and the next after..." and she trailed off, closing the journal and placing it up above her head on the bench. There she lay there, arms extended over her head, awaiting her prize. If he denied her, she likely would tackle him, injuries or not.

[Illumin0sity]

Noah stayed squatted, looking at her as she folded entirely with the lasting thunk on the head from the book. Elann went to read, reciting her words with color and clarity, comparing his kisses to facets of nature; wind, grass, and snow. He envisioned each one, the tree leaves swaying from the wind, the delicate deer munching on even more delicate grass, and the chilled, freshly fallen snow in the hands of a child in Syliras. They weren’t his kisses, he realized. She was speaking about his lips, saying they were more part of herself than her own. It was minorly overwhelming to believe his lips had an affect on someone else so majorly.

Elann trailed off, closing the diary and then awaited her kiss as promised. Noah considered it for a moment, turning the gem over in his fingers’ grasp. Deciding, he reached out to her and simply brushed over her lips with his pointer and middle finger. He stood up, whispering, “I lied,” mischievously, before turning back towards the trunks, looking to put his gem back and away.

There was a clear smile on his face, as he drew probably too much pleasure from toying with Elann in this way. He was borderline snickering as he walked as well. Having fun at Elann’s expense was turning out to be a new favorite passtime.

[snelss0]

Elann had opened herself up to him, seeing his face mull over the thoughts she had once had. Upon closing the journal, she waited for the kiss that never came, and upon him breaking his promise, she sat with mouth agape. If it were serious, she would have been far more angry with him, but since he was clearly playing, she just glared with a scowl.

"I see..." she muttered ominously and sat up, set the book on the seat, and stood to head out the back of the wagon. "I guess I'll just have to remember this when describing other parts of your body..." She inched toward the back, as if leaving, "...perhaps I could say something ...negative..."

She hummed thoughtfully, and repeatedly to show she was still considering as she inched further toward the back of the wagon.

[Illumin0sity]

Seeing Elann’s mouth drop ajar was another symbol of victory for the Kelvic. It seemed reaction after reaction were given to him, each one a point in the metaphorical game he was playing. He understood she would’ve been actually angry with him should they had not have been playing, but since they were he was keeping up his front of dismissiveness. He saw no reason for the fun to end then and there, and if she got a kiss from him, it would’ve ended.

Noah started to put the gem away, dropping it into the trunk as he went to open the bag. The light was fading but Elann’s voice was penetrating the growing darkness with ominousness that gave Noah pause. He retook the stone in hand and turned back to face her, the darkness slowly being banished to be replaced by white light once again. Elann threatened to speak about other unnamed parts of his body, leaving Noah ignorant to what she was referring to. All she said pertaining to the unknown part was that she might say something negative.

Seeing as they were playing, Noah put little weight in her words, aiming to win the game they were playing. Growing up in Zeltiva and with card games, he took Elann’s words as a bluff, and he sought to call her on it.

She hummed, forcing him to raise a dark brow. “What part?” he questioned. “You enjoy every bit of me.” The Kelvic spoke with confidence. “You said so. So, what’re you talking about?”

[snelss0]

What part, he wanted to know. To be honest, she didn't know, but him calling her bluff did put her in an awkward position.

"Oh sure, I do...every little bit, but maybe...I'll lie."

She inched closer to the back, her leg coming close to leaving, even hovering over the edge.

There was growing in her a deep longing, and having waited all evening for a kiss, even though they were playing, she wanted to lose the game between them so he would just kiss her like he had promised.

[Illumin0sity]

Noah tilted his head at her, waited for her to come up with an answer to his question. He didn’t let up in the intensity of his glower against her, finally drawing an answer from her that said she may have been lying. Noah huffed a breath of laughter as Elann inched, telling he didn’t believe her.

“As if you’d lie,” he affirmed, almost dismissively.

Noah turned his back to her again and set the gem down in the trunk, not bothering to put it back in the sack with the others. He left it there, letting the light die down. With the waning light came his own confidence, for he actually wasn’t sure if Elann was totally incapable of lying. He, too, was bluffing in his own way, but turned away from her so she couldn’t see the uncertainty in his face.

Noah continued to face away until the darkness retook the interior of the wagon, even more dark than before since the flaps were close. Moon and starlight weren’t allowed in through the thickness of the canvas, and even Noah was having a hard time viewing Elann from across the way. He saw her shadow against the back flaps, but that was mostly it, as his eyes adjusted more and more to the newfound darkness.

[snelss0]

In her mind, there was no real way for her to win. His continual dismissal of her showed he didn't think much of her threats, nor her leaving the wagon. He called her bluff each time, but really while it was irritating to lose, it was a compliment to her. He knew that she would not think so negatively, not run away from him, and not turn her back to him. Each of those were good qualities he saw within her that made him easily doubt her deceptions.

Slumping a little, she tsk'ed in annoyance and came back to lay down on the bench. There was mild irritation and annoyance in her, but no more so than anyone who would lose at a game. It was minimal and easily overwhelmed by her love for him.

If he held a desire for her body, she could have used that against him to tempt him, but that wasn't there, and so all she had at her disposal he had already rejected as a bluff. In the end she just lay there on her back, saying nothing, her lips tucked in as if to bar any kiss that would come from him.

[Illumin0sity]

It was a good thing Elann didn’t take any of his dismissing or bluff calling as a bad thing. Noah presumed he knew her rather well, and wouldn’t have bonded himself to her if he believed she didn’t truly appreciate many parts of him. In the beginning of their relationship, as friends, it was the vibe he got from her, that she was beginning to appreciate and even admire him in some ways. It didn’t fluff his ego entirely, more so making it so he felt comfortable shedding layers of his facade in order to be with her in a truer state. Only recently did she seemingly lose sight of what she was in his eyes, now she seemed to be regaining that.

He heard her tsk in annoyance, could detect it fluttering about in her being as he followed her shadow and then darkened frame to the bench where she lay back down. The game wasn’t entirely over, for he was aiming to pull on the strings of her desire for him. He was alright with pausing it though, for now.

“I love you,” he spoke into the darkness, just in case Elann may have doubted it in that moment.

He reached back down into the trunk, feeling around through clothes and trinkets for his small box at the bottom. Finding it, he pulled it up and set it on top of everything else.

“I want to pay Emery for healing me, like I paid Devi,” he said, seeking approval from Elann before he spent any of the gold. It felt like the right thing to do in his mind and it was only fair, Emery and Devi were services, physicians, and required payment for their aid. He didn’t recall them paying Emery for stitching Noah up and providing the painkilling herbs.

[snelss0]

Regardless of the state of mind she was in, being mildly annoyed that she still hadn't gotten her promised kiss, when he said he loved her, the silent wife spoke up softly to him.

"I love you too."

There was longing in her tone, as if in itself she was asking for a kiss, but was disheartened that she could not get it by any means she knew. She would have to be patient and wait for him to give up the game.

He indicated then that he wanted to pay the doctor, something she had already done.

"I paid him when you were unconscious. I gave him six gold mizas for his treatment."

The doctor was more than pleased, given that a daily wage for him was about eight gold mizas and he had only worked the one case. Granted it was a more serious one, but with his continued care, the payment was more than fair.

[Illumin0sity]

“No,” Noah replied. Elann’s words weren’t something Noah wanted to hear, though he didn’t speak out adamantly against them. “I want to. I’ll give him more.”

It meant a great deal to Noah to be the one to deliver payment himself. He didn’t want Elann to be the one to do it for him, and it wasn’t a thing of pride. They were his own injuries and he still did believe they were inflicted because of his own mistakes, Elann failing to convince him otherwise if she had been trying.

“I didn’t want you to do that,” he admitted.

Noah wasn’t angry with her in the slightest, his mood didn’t falter much either. The game was paused so he wasn’t being playful anymore, he was being serious. He paid Devi himself, a season after he was healed completely. He gave her both monetary payment as well as treating her to an early breakfast after one of her harder cases following his own. He hadn’t told Elann that.

He put the coinbox back into the depths of the chest, covering it up with their garments again, of which he felt he would need to buy more off. Noah closed the chest softly, the latch sounding quietly.

“Here,” he said, beckoning Elann to him in the simple statement.

[snelss0]

Six Mizas was a lot. It was nearly a whole daily wage for a doctor/surgeon who performed his works on many patients through the day, but with the treatment two to four would have been enough. Wanting to retain Noah's honor, and their families honor as a whole, Elann gave him six, but it seemed to her husband that that was not enough. He wasn't angry behind his rebuke, and that meant something, but he was being serious.

She sat up because of the serious turn in the conversation and looked toward his shadow. She was not able to see much of him, just a darkened blob in the darkness.

"I'm sorry," she admitted herself.

She nervously smoothed her dress from where it had hiked up and sat while there were sounds of coins and garments, then the chest and latch. She wasn't sure if he had something for her upon saying 'here' or if he was beckoning to her. Somewhat cautiously she stretched out her hand toward where his darkened blob was and if he would take it in his hand, she would stand and come closer, yet if he handed something to her, she could take it by bringing the other hand up.

"I am sorry, I knew you'd want to, but I just thought it was better to pay him well as soon as possible. I don't know, I think in my mind it was so he'd take better care of you or because I knew you'd want to give him quite a bit but you couldn't. I felt that he deserved to be paid immediately instead of long after."

She was truly apologetic, and the thoughts had crossed her mind before, though she was nervous because of his sudden seriousness.

[Illumin0sity]

Elann apologized to him after he heard her shifting on the bench. He assumed he could see her better than she could see him, but he was playing it by shadows as well. He was also using the bond to his advantage, as he was able to see what she saw in brief moments and used it to judge his relative distance to her, which wasn’t that far. Using the bond more, he could sense the growing sensation of nervousness within her belly and could imagine her fidgeting before answering his call.

Noah turned around and met her hand, pulling her up and into his space, his warmth greeting her as it fought against the lasting chill in the wagon. Up close he could see her eyes as they probably sought to find him amidst the darkness, his new proximity made it easier. He looked at her while she explained herself to him, expressing her reasoning in soundness he didn’t question.

“Stop apologizing,” he said, attempting to basically shush her with his softly spoken words of understanding.

He already set his mind to attempt to express his own gratitude to Emery in his own way. He felt Elann robbed him of the chance to do so the first time, but he held no ill feelings towards her. At least she said she knew he’d want to pay Emery himself, he trusted she wasn’t just saying that because of him broaching the topic.

“I scared you. I’m sorry, I didn’t meant to do that.”

Noah was apologetic as well, not meaning to force Elann into a momentary pang of nervousness. He appreciated her thoughtfulness in the situation, knowing he would want to pay the doctor himself. Noah brought his hands to her face, cupping it then brushing one of his thumbs just beneath her bottom lip.

[snelss0]

It seemed he after all just wanted her near him and wasn't handing her anything. He too was able to see her clearer than she him given his ability to grasp her hand properly. As she came up into his space, those flutterings returned, pushing unease away from her in a small way. She could feel his breath and knew just by knowing his body where everything on his face was. She didn't have to see in the dark to know where to kiss him, having thought very much about her husband physically.

His order to shush her worked magnificently and she drew quiet, awaiting his intent. In part, she paid the man a handsome sum on behalf of both of them and to ensure good treatment, but also she knew there were other ways to repay kindness, ways that her husband could attempt if he wished. She knew he would want to pay the doctor, but wasn't sure if he had enough care until now to really do anything else. It seemed he did want to do more.

"You didn't. It's okay."

She just didn't want him to think that she had neglected his wants and desires upon giving the gift to him. In a more pleading and commanding way, she asked him,

"Will you kiss me now?"

[Illumin0sity]

Noah was finding it difficult to tell if Elann was actually fighting some sort of addiction to kissing him or if she was just looking to suck the fun out of his game, a game he wasn’t actively playing until she reminded him with her pleading and borderline commanding way of requesting a kiss. He laughed through his nose, a single long breath to tell of the smile coming across his lips. His thumb beneath her bottom lip paused in its gentle stroking as he looked down at her in consideration.

The technical command did give his entire being pause, he wasn’t allowed to think of his game at Elann’s pleading and direction. The draw wasn’t intense but was enough for him to forfeit his game and his own enjoyment in order to satisfy a want of his bondmate. Noah’s thumb put pressure on her chin, forcing her lips apart only slightly as he bent down to meet them with his. The kiss itself wasn’t small, it was open-mouthed and sensual enough to hopefully sate whatever need she had.

Noah continued on in the kiss, prolonging it in a way that would only pause for breath so long as she didn’t request for him to stop. Kissing her satisfied something within him as well because he liked the action almost as much as she did, if not at the same level of want sometimes. The fluttering feel-good emotions were elating to him as well, but it all came crashing down at the eventual ringing of the dinner bell which actually jolted the Kelvic into a fleeting state of shock, causing him to tense and relax upon realization in a splitting second.

He pulled back and up, licking his lips and tasting what little of her remained on them. He wanted to ask if that was better, if she was finally satisfied, but he believed he had his answer upon looking into their bond. Noah didn’t stay looking at her though, turning his back to her in favor for the trunk once again. He sought for the latch, undoing it and reopening the trunk.

“I need pants,” he said, more in announcing and asking for aid than anything else.

[snelss0]

Her desire to kiss him at first was simply little more than a humming draw, but the more he denied her, the more she wanted it. As he caved in, hearing the desperation in her voice, there was a rush of cool water over the hot flame that had risen. Elann was a passionate woman, and that passion could be driven in a bad way should he have continued much further with his taunts. As it was, he didn't and he met her, pulling at her chin to part her lips as he kissed her.

It would have been not enough if he had given her a short kiss, but as it was, he had given her a deep kiss, romantic and it made her melt in his warm arms. A groan came from Elann at the ring of the bell as she wondered what quick thing he had made that could possibly be ready so soon. It was likely some form of left overs that did not spoil, but likely wasn't going to taste good. Aimee was the only one of them who likely would eat good food that night.

As her husband pulled away, she did a few lip-smacks with her lips together in contentment and then pawed lightly at his chest in the dark. He didn't linger, moving instead to the trunk and opening it. His desire for pants of course meant he was not going to wear a shirt. Who knew what the young women of the caravan thought of him, but given their likely destination, most of them were probably not devoid of seeing a bare-chested man before. Elann was not as easy minded about him being in the open, but knew Noah didn't mind and that he was loyal. She didn't say anything and just moved off to the side to sit on the bench and await him to be ready.

"Later tonight, I want you to change to your true self. I want you to see if it hurts less and if you can beat your wings without too much pain okay?"

[Illumin0sity]

Noah paid little mind to the women of the caravan, young or old. He was not ignorant to their gazes, saw how their wonder seemingly grew with each shift from man to eagle, and how he paraded his nude body around the camp until Elann told him otherwise. He didn’t mind their attention, occasionally meeting their glances with his own made in meaningless scanning of his surroundings. He thought they were weird, bizarre, borderline creepy with their gawking and shifting glances when their possibly controlling husbands strolled on by. He’d observed enough to draw assumptions and base his own conclusions off his observations, he just managed to keep his opinions to himself because he didn’t care to discuss them.

Noah found a pair of underwear and a pair of pants. He slid the former on, pausing as he bent down to tend with the pants when Elann spoke. He didn’t answer her, letting her question hang there without clarification until he got his pants on. Noah prolonged any answer longer still, going as far as reaching for a shirt as well, many of which weren’t dirtied since he hadn’t worn them that much during the trip. He went further still, though he was moving slowly. Noah found his shoes and slipped his feet into them, bending down slowly to pull them over his heels.

Next, he went for the wagon’s exit, moving one of the flaps aside to let in the faint moonlight. “Help me down, please,” he asked of her, pointing with the other hand out of the wagon.

[snelss0]

Elann just didn't understand him sometimes. He would go from playful, to serious, to romantic, and now blatantly ignored her. It was a form of abuse that Elann tolerated remarkably well, though he would feel the same feeling he always felt when he ignored her to think. She had to remind herself to be patient, to give him time to consider what she said, understanding that he was a little different and didn't see any real reason to change who he was and how he communicated.

She herself felt about with her feet until she found her slippers and then slid them on, waiting for whatever he was doing to finish. More time passed and she just sat there quiet with her hands folded over her lap. Eventually she could hear him putting on his shoes and the pop of them coming over his heels. She waited for him to stand and open the flap, wincing at the light suddenly coming in.

Quietly she moved to the back with him and climbed out to help him slowly descend, though it was mostly by his strength that he did. She was far too light to really have much of a bearing on him, but she was able to keep him from falling at least; and even if he did, she'd make sure he fell on her before the ground.

Once down, she closed the flap and moved across the wet ground to queue up for the food. Given the strange light that was emanating from their wagon and the shadows cast upon the outside of the canvas, a few lookers were staring, but Elann didn't notice. It didn't help Noah was shirtless, but as they inched closer to the front, she could see the cook's glances their way.

She was not an expert in deciphering facial expressions, but his seemed to indicate thought on the pair of them for some reason before he scooped out some sort of mush to people. It at least smelled good.

[Illumin0sity]

This moment of not answering Elann wasn’t met with as much as a glance of acknowledgement, no hum came from him, not even a little grunt. He was mostly mute in the way he handled her last question, much unlike the other instances in which he was asking for time to think. Here, he wasn’t considering it, he was truthfully ignoring the question asked in hopes of avoiding it and hoping she would forget it. He had his own doubts which prevented him from wanting to shift to his other form, his truer form.

They moved from the wagon, Noah pull his shirt on the rest of the way as they joined the queue for that evening’s dinner. He recalled Elann telling him his sister was hunting, he hoped Aimee would bring him something back from the hunt. Whatever the cook was cooking may have smelled nice to everyone else but it didn’t to him.

The smell wafted through the air, growing stronger as the couple walked. He noticed the onlookers, meeting their gazes with his own of distance. Perhaps it was what caused other women to enjoy seeing him, because he was forbidden, not just by his marriage ties to Elann, but by his own attitude as well. He would be a difficult prize to catch for those who sought to pursue, not taking the initial ‘no’ for an answer.

[snelss0]

Given that Noah slid his shirt on, Elann felt significantly more comfortable to be among others. It was a rare thing to see him fully clothed, and despite the nulled conversation between them, it reminded her of his getup for their wedding. He still thought it funny, but she thought it very fitting of him.

At they waited in line, her eyes, now able to see him, searched for his eyes.

"You look handsome," she commented to his appearance. A small tuck of a smile crossed her lips and she moved up with him in line to retrieve a bowl of the goop and some bread. She ended up just taking bread for herself, not feeling too hungry and she took a bite as she exited the line with him.

"Look Noah!" she said quietly but with excitement toward the river. It was close, within sight, and she reached up to tug at his shirt.

"Do you want to eat by the water?"