"Cool," she murmured, running a finger over the lead. She was of the opinion it was prettier this way than set in gold, but he was right. It would be a waste of opals, particularly since these were apparently divine, whatever the hell that meant. She set it carefully inside the room as Gareth approached with his army of blankets. If it was that important, best it be inside where it wouldn't accidentally fall or something.
A basket wasn't quite as cool as riding a dragon, but he was right; it was probably safer. Fortunately, she got a warning of what was about to happen when Gareth was picked up first. She even managed not to squeak, this time. Frankly, rather than squirm, the held very still and clung very tight. She wasn't afraid of heights at all, but she was practical about it.
She was dropped delicately into a basket, and Ren still had no idea why Gareth had been so grumpy about this. What could someone's life be like, that they wouldn't drop literally everything to do this? Er, no pun intended.
She was briefly distracted by the presence of food, but wisely left it for later, since everyone was so concerned about her vomitting today, for whatever reason. Plus, the King had somehow managed to discover something more interesting to her than food.
They took off, and Ren shrieked with delight as the force of it pushed her down against the basket, which swung wildly. She had a broad if instinctual understanding of physics; she wasn't particularly worried about falling out, despite how it felt. She hopped with delight as they rose, albeit gently, as she was in a basket. She ran excitedly to the edge of the basket, clinging to it as she leaned over the edge. The king's cloak flew out behind her, fluttering with the force of wind, but she'd tied it securely enough that it stayed safely around her neck.
The air grew cold as they rose, and she found herself strangely breathless in ways that couldn't be explained away by just excitement and wind. She felt as though her breath might turn to ice crystals on the wind, but she made no move for a blanket, preferring to get chilled down to her bones. She felt alive, and the sensation choked her unexpectedly.
The city was tiny, and she froze up when she saw the trees. They were a jigsaw puzzle of colors, green and yellow and orange and red, like a forest fire. The King had been right, the trees were changing. Fall was here, winter on its way.
It hadn't yet been spring when she was sentenced. The smile faded from her face, realization of the time that had passed in a blurry haze of idle torture setting in. Her jaw tightened, and briefly, when her panoramic gaze panned over Gareth, there was a flash of honest hatred there that he probably hadn't seen in quite a while.
Fortunately for them both, Ren couldn't remain melancholic for long, not under these circumstances. She refused to have this breath of freedom ruined by sulking. She would surely never experience this again by any measure, not the flying and maybe not the freedom, unless her plans for escape suddenly and dramatically came to fruition.
Which they almost did when the King flew low, skimming over the river. She wondered if Gareth noticed the way her breath caught, the way her leg raised automatically as if to climb over the edge of the basket. She might survive a tumble into the river, even at this speed, the King might not even notice she was gone until it was too late to find her, might not hear Gareth yelling.
But the moment passed without her jumping, a jumble of disconnected reasons why bouncing around her skull. Too dangerous. The King wouldn't really bother to care if she escaped from the complex, but she suspected he'd be quite cross if she did it right out from under his nose, while he still remembered she existed. She was naked save for a cape, and that might slow her down long enough that she wouldn't make it to a border before she was hunted down like a dog and finally put down.
Instead, she closed her eyes into the spray of water, only opening when the King shot straight upwards next to a waterfall. He rocketed back upwards and she wrapped tense hands around the rim of the basket to avoid being shoved backwards, feet digging into the bottom. Cold air filled her lungs and water fresh from a river had sprayed into her mouth.
She didn't move from the side of the basket, despite the chill only made worse by the wet. She was shivering, her whole body flush with goose flesh. She hoped she caught ill, because it often reminded her that she still had a body when she'd been in her room too long over a weekend and forgot. She leaned against the edge of the basket and gazed out at the world, looking for all the world like she was still contemplating climbing out.
She sort of understand what the King had meant. It was a crime to keep him holed up in that castle. She wondered if he ever thought about the people he kept caged under those sympathetic terms. Definitely not. Wouldn't care to try if she suggested it.
A basket wasn't quite as cool as riding a dragon, but he was right; it was probably safer. Fortunately, she got a warning of what was about to happen when Gareth was picked up first. She even managed not to squeak, this time. Frankly, rather than squirm, the held very still and clung very tight. She wasn't afraid of heights at all, but she was practical about it.
She was dropped delicately into a basket, and Ren still had no idea why Gareth had been so grumpy about this. What could someone's life be like, that they wouldn't drop literally everything to do this? Er, no pun intended.
She was briefly distracted by the presence of food, but wisely left it for later, since everyone was so concerned about her vomitting today, for whatever reason. Plus, the King had somehow managed to discover something more interesting to her than food.
They took off, and Ren shrieked with delight as the force of it pushed her down against the basket, which swung wildly. She had a broad if instinctual understanding of physics; she wasn't particularly worried about falling out, despite how it felt. She hopped with delight as they rose, albeit gently, as she was in a basket. She ran excitedly to the edge of the basket, clinging to it as she leaned over the edge. The king's cloak flew out behind her, fluttering with the force of wind, but she'd tied it securely enough that it stayed safely around her neck.
The air grew cold as they rose, and she found herself strangely breathless in ways that couldn't be explained away by just excitement and wind. She felt as though her breath might turn to ice crystals on the wind, but she made no move for a blanket, preferring to get chilled down to her bones. She felt alive, and the sensation choked her unexpectedly.
The city was tiny, and she froze up when she saw the trees. They were a jigsaw puzzle of colors, green and yellow and orange and red, like a forest fire. The King had been right, the trees were changing. Fall was here, winter on its way.
It hadn't yet been spring when she was sentenced. The smile faded from her face, realization of the time that had passed in a blurry haze of idle torture setting in. Her jaw tightened, and briefly, when her panoramic gaze panned over Gareth, there was a flash of honest hatred there that he probably hadn't seen in quite a while.
Fortunately for them both, Ren couldn't remain melancholic for long, not under these circumstances. She refused to have this breath of freedom ruined by sulking. She would surely never experience this again by any measure, not the flying and maybe not the freedom, unless her plans for escape suddenly and dramatically came to fruition.
Which they almost did when the King flew low, skimming over the river. She wondered if Gareth noticed the way her breath caught, the way her leg raised automatically as if to climb over the edge of the basket. She might survive a tumble into the river, even at this speed, the King might not even notice she was gone until it was too late to find her, might not hear Gareth yelling.
But the moment passed without her jumping, a jumble of disconnected reasons why bouncing around her skull. Too dangerous. The King wouldn't really bother to care if she escaped from the complex, but she suspected he'd be quite cross if she did it right out from under his nose, while he still remembered she existed. She was naked save for a cape, and that might slow her down long enough that she wouldn't make it to a border before she was hunted down like a dog and finally put down.
Instead, she closed her eyes into the spray of water, only opening when the King shot straight upwards next to a waterfall. He rocketed back upwards and she wrapped tense hands around the rim of the basket to avoid being shoved backwards, feet digging into the bottom. Cold air filled her lungs and water fresh from a river had sprayed into her mouth.
She didn't move from the side of the basket, despite the chill only made worse by the wet. She was shivering, her whole body flush with goose flesh. She hoped she caught ill, because it often reminded her that she still had a body when she'd been in her room too long over a weekend and forgot. She leaned against the edge of the basket and gazed out at the world, looking for all the world like she was still contemplating climbing out.
She sort of understand what the King had meant. It was a crime to keep him holed up in that castle. She wondered if he ever thought about the people he kept caged under those sympathetic terms. Definitely not. Wouldn't care to try if she suggested it.
The following 2 users Like SolitareLee's post: liarliaronapyre, Tindome
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Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-19-2019, 08:34 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-19-2019, 09:03 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-19-2019, 11:24 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-19-2019, 12:43 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-19-2019, 01:16 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-19-2019, 02:26 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-19-2019, 02:55 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-19-2019, 03:51 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-19-2019, 04:28 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-19-2019, 05:12 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-19-2019, 05:42 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-19-2019, 11:21 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-20-2019, 01:03 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-20-2019, 01:47 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-20-2019, 02:41 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-20-2019, 03:15 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-20-2019, 03:41 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-20-2019, 04:23 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-20-2019, 04:53 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-20-2019, 05:48 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-20-2019, 06:09 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-20-2019, 06:41 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-20-2019, 07:03 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-20-2019, 07:28 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-20-2019, 08:11 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-20-2019, 08:39 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-20-2019, 09:01 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-20-2019, 09:53 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-20-2019, 10:14 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-20-2019, 10:47 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-20-2019, 05:41 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-20-2019, 08:32 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-20-2019, 08:48 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-20-2019, 09:36 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-20-2019, 09:53 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-20-2019, 10:24 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-20-2019, 11:05 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-20-2019, 11:45 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-21-2019, 12:02 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-21-2019, 12:39 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-21-2019, 01:15 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-21-2019, 01:51 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-21-2019, 02:16 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-21-2019, 05:47 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-21-2019, 06:13 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-21-2019, 07:08 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-21-2019, 08:01 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-21-2019, 09:32 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-21-2019, 10:30 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-21-2019, 11:21 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-21-2019, 11:53 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-21-2019, 12:51 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-21-2019, 01:31 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-21-2019, 02:09 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-21-2019, 02:28 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-21-2019, 03:24 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-21-2019, 05:32 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-21-2019, 10:18 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-21-2019, 10:46 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-22-2019, 03:26 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-22-2019, 03:51 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-22-2019, 11:13 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-22-2019, 11:47 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-22-2019, 02:23 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-22-2019, 03:02 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-23-2019, 03:06 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-23-2019, 03:39 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-23-2019, 04:52 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-23-2019, 05:07 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-23-2019, 05:49 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-23-2019, 06:16 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-23-2019, 06:52 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-23-2019, 07:20 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-23-2019, 09:45 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-23-2019, 10:27 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-23-2019, 12:59 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-23-2019, 01:16 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-23-2019, 02:14 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-23-2019, 02:30 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-23-2019, 02:57 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-23-2019, 03:22 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-23-2019, 10:16 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-23-2019, 10:51 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-24-2019, 03:20 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-24-2019, 03:59 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-24-2019, 10:40 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-24-2019, 10:57 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-24-2019, 11:43 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-24-2019, 11:59 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-24-2019, 02:05 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-24-2019, 02:23 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-24-2019, 02:50 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-24-2019, 03:01 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-24-2019, 03:51 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-24-2019, 04:05 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-24-2019, 04:49 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-24-2019, 05:07 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-25-2019, 04:40 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-25-2019, 05:08 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-25-2019, 09:04 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-25-2019, 09:25 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-25-2019, 10:41 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-25-2019, 11:00 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-25-2019, 01:07 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-25-2019, 01:28 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-25-2019, 05:52 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-25-2019, 06:58 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-26-2019, 02:53 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-26-2019, 03:33 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-26-2019, 07:35 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-26-2019, 08:09 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-26-2019, 09:24 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-26-2019, 10:09 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-26-2019, 12:13 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-26-2019, 12:44 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-26-2019, 02:06 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-26-2019, 02:24 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-28-2019, 06:58 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-28-2019, 07:41 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-28-2019, 08:37 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-28-2019, 08:54 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-28-2019, 12:18 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-28-2019, 12:40 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-29-2019, 01:51 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-29-2019, 02:09 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-30-2019, 06:25 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-30-2019, 06:47 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-30-2019, 08:16 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-30-2019, 08:34 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-30-2019, 12:14 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-30-2019, 12:57 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-30-2019, 01:22 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-30-2019, 01:37 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-30-2019, 02:11 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-30-2019, 02:29 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-30-2019, 03:05 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-30-2019, 03:33 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-30-2019, 03:57 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-30-2019, 04:15 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-30-2019, 10:46 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-31-2019, 02:52 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 10-31-2019, 09:15 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 10-31-2019, 09:33 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-05-2019, 09:25 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-05-2019, 09:53 AM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-05-2019, 01:16 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-05-2019, 01:42 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-05-2019, 02:13 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-05-2019, 02:25 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-05-2019, 02:44 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-05-2019, 02:54 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-05-2019, 03:33 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-05-2019, 03:48 PM
RE: Beg Mercy [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-05-2019, 04:50 PM