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[Elyna]

Tension rolled in waves from the woman, her limbs almost vibrating with the effort to keep herself restrained. Anger was an ugly beast, hard to contain once it had been given a chance to look beyond it’s cage. Unable to stand still as Malcolm paused, her hands shook, clasping and unclasping. The young woman waited before glancing back at Vakhanor and nodding, shoulders curbing with defeat, “I’ll meet you outside,” she encouraged the Smith before turning back to Malcolm.

She forced her fingers through her hair, pulling the strands free of their braid. The front door shut and her arm dropped. She gripped her hands tight together and drew in a breath, enough to lift her shoulders and chest before letting it out in a puff and trying again. Some of the adrenaline eased from her racing heart, but the heat remained, spreading across her neck and burning her cheeks. Eyes remaining a pale honey as she studied the Mortalborn man.

“The next time that you tell me to leave, Malcolm. I am not coming back.”

Her features softened as Elsie rested her head against his shoulder and she was faced with two pairs of identical green eyes. Elsie frowned at her and Elyna forced a smile, “I’m going to look at the chickens, sweetheart,” the woman reached out, hesitating as she waited to see if Malcolm would pull their daughter out of her touch. She smoothed the soft auburn hair against the pale scalp before she turned and made her own way out and into the spring afternoon.

“Vakh?” She started with a slow circle around the house. Outside of the wooden walls she could breathe more easily.

[Malcolm]

Malcolm couldn't even look at Elyna. He was done with the tension and threats, the lonely nights and terrible arguments, but most of all he was sick of the constant state of unrest between them.
Elsie was set down in her crib. She sat up, chubby little hands gripping the edge of the cot as she peeked over the top at her father. Malcolm threw one of the leather cases on the bed and opened the dresser, pulling Elyna’s clothes out of the drawer. His chest rose and fell in a fury, heart drumming hard behind his ribs. He filled the case with Elyna’s things and threw it from the bed. It rolled across the floor and lay open near the door.
Elsie laughed and shuffled forward on her bottom.
The warden’s anger melted away with the sound of the child’s giggle, and he sunk down against the end of the bed to sit. Soon the task of returning Elyna’s clothes to the dresser was underway, and once everything was as it was, Malcolm took Elsie from the crib again.
“I'm going to fix this, darling,” he whispered to the child. “I'm going to fix this.”

[Vakhanor]

Elyna’s hands met the flank of his skin and he received the pain to his chest with a flash of excitement. This had been a part of the woman he had wanted to see for a long time. Her fear empowered him, just as it had with all the men and women he had to torture, only this time the victim fought back. “The lie is that you don’t fucking love him,” the smith answered, taking a tug of her hair between his fingers and pulling it back to hurt her more.

Discarding her hair Vakhanor pulled away from her just before Malcolm entered the room and an exchange of solemn understanding took place. Vakhanor weighed the potential outcomes of the bickering couple. Everything he could think of was better without him in it, and he welcomed the chance to leave. Despite the accusations ripped from the depths of Elyna’s sadness, the smith knew better than to judge a man’s character before knowing the truth. He held a lingering respect for the knight, regardless of what was happening in front of him. “Pardon me,” the smith tried to speak the language the noble understood and excused himself from their presence.

He had no place in the affairs of a married couple and their child; his input would have been very little that was of any help to anyone. Instead he chose to retreat to his spot on the hill, where he had first comforted Elyna for the silliness of her actions.

Rynmere had changed since then. Looking at what it was now in comparison to what it had been was a sore sight. There was nothing left for him here. Bits passed until Elyna finally retreated from the little cottage.

“Vakh?”

“Elyna,” the deep ring of his voice echoed across the valley as he rose to meet her “Do you want to go for that drink?” There was nothing left but her.

[Elyna]

Her scalp ached from where he’d pulled at her hair and she wasn’t sure if she was relieved to find him beneath the tree or disappointed. Still, she offered a cautious smile and pushed her hands into her pocket as he called her name. Malcolm had sent her away to show Vakhanor their little plot of land. She knew herself enough, to know that she needed time to calm down before returning to her supposed partner.

A drink? The young woman looked back at the house before nodding. Her hands were still trembling from the come down of adrenaline. Elyna wanted to return to the house and tell Malcolm where she was going. To explain that she wasn’t vanishing but she was taking his advice and the time to calm down. To return to the house would risk another argument. She wasn’t confident in her ability to explain that everything was going to be alright, she was going back to the city to get a drink with Vakhanor. Yet, the temptation towards normality was overwhelming.

“Sure,” she agreed, “that sounds good. Let’s get that drink.” The young woman glanced back, over her shoulder at the house as they walked. Feet following the path back towards the city. She touched her fingers to her neck, remembering the pinching sensation of Vakh’s hands on her face. “Don’t…please don’t grab me like that.” Elyna asked, voice soft. “I’ll explain everything…I just… when people try and hold my throat I-” I return to Saun and I feel like I never left, she thought.

[Golem]

Rewards

Name:

Malcolm

Knowledge:

Vakhanor: Kissed Elyna
Elsie: Not your Child
Discipline: Handling Marital Anger
Discipline: Deciding to Fight for your Marriage

Loot:

N/A

Injuries:

N/A

Fame:

N/A

Story:

5/5

Collaboration:

5/5

Structure:

5/5

- - -

Name:

Elyna

Knowledge:

Psychology: Danger of having your Lover and Husband Meet
Vahkanor: Claims he wants Nothing
Vakhanor: Knows how to push your buttons
Deception: Claims of Infidelity are last resorts
Malcolm: Told him Elsie isn’t his

Loot:

N/A

Injuries:

N/A

Fame:

N/A

Story:

5/5

Collaboration:

5/5

Structure:

5/5

- - -

Name:

Vakhanor

Knowledge:

Self: Cannot Live with loving a Married Woman
Deception: Avoidance removes the need to Lie
Psychology: The Hurt of seeing an old lover
Elyna: Doesn’t think she’s Married
Elyna: Doesn’t like Hands on her Neck
Elyna: Has a Daughter

Loot:

N/A

Injuries:

N/A

Fame:

N/A

Story:

5/5

Collaboration:

5/5

Structure:

5/5

- - -

Comments:

Wow, what a rollercoaster of a thread. Long, for sure, but you guys write well together, and it was enjoyable to read.

No serious spelling mistakes, good pacing, and well written thought processes. There wasn’t much in the way of knowledges to award. Let me know if there’s anything else you wanted out of the thread!

If you feel I've missed anything or if you have questions about your review, please don't hesitate to send me a quick PM. Thank you!