House Hune Stables: Tiras Lorn, Caemlyn

A cacophony of clomping hooves, neighs, and fidgeting horses tumbles out of the stalls that line the east and west walls of this building. A large, square, riding ring is fenced off from the rest of the stables on three of its sides and opens up to the outside through a large, sliding, barn door on the north wall. The south wall has a small office, a barracks for the stablehands, and a large storage shed.

The building and stalls are kept extremely clean, but there is still the constant sweet, cloying smell of animal sweat, animal waste, and molding hay.

Demonder

In the middle of the stable, Demonder takes a seat upon a stool nearby while Chade works to rebandage his leg. The wound that had been healing has now broke through once again, though the bleed was not that serious. Demonder leans back on the stole so that his head touches upon a wooden pole behind. With his eyes closed, he waits for Chade to depart. A good thing he's staying between Rennar and the exit.

"Thank you, Chade." Rennar murmurs as she keeps her gaze on Demonder. There are footsteps that seem to go toward the exit. Were Demonder to open his eyes, he'd notice Chade leaving the building, perhaps mumbling something about time better spent within the Rose and Lion rather than here. Rennar turns, heading toward the back of the stables once more.

Demonder opens his eyes and begins to stand slowly. Freshly bandaged, his leg drags a little more from the pressure of it, as he begins to follow Rennar. "Where are you going?" he asks quietly, seeing that the woman he loves has finally gained her strength and lost all meekness. Though at the cost of them. That hurt shows in his voice.

"What does it matter? Any chances of my own survival are now gone, at least, uncaged." Rennar retorts, still walking to the back. She stops at a stall, and a brown nose pops out. Rennar gently reaches out and touches the muzzle of the horse, then leans her head against its own. The horse returns the attention, gently nuzzling her shoulder. They stand there, woman and horse, quiet, motionless.

Demonder slows in his pace toward her, not wanting to distrupt the warm affections between woman and horse. His steps are light as he nears the stall beside, eyes watching her with that deep sense of numbness from the night. "If this is true, if this is what you believe, then let's run away." Yes, he means them both. "Renni... we'll take flight into the night, and have someone we trust move messages between." The last part was said after some thought, as Demonder begins to realize the complete implications of their outburst in public.

"No." A single word answers Demonder's request, strong and adament. "If I am to leave the city, I will do so on my own, without aid." There, she's spoken up front - that's what he wants. "I will /not/ have anyone else dying because of me, or being placed into danger /because/ of me."

All fine and good that she has gathered all her strength. Demonder even manages a brief smile at her first insistance of no. But it fades, of course, as he won't allow this to happen. "Do you see death above me, Rennar? I'm not going too die!" Sure, he realizes that now, after believing otherwise that basically started this mess. "And I'm damn well not letting you go anywhere without me. Use me as a guard, Rennar, if we are not to be married, but I will not let you go like this."

"We have said all that we have to say to one another Lord Roesone. I do not want your aid or your company." Those words hurt even as Rennar says them, though she still doesn't say the one thing that Demonder keeps insisting her to do - tell him that she doesn't love him any longer, or that she still loves him. She is, of course, making another attempt to push him away, hopefully more strongly than the last time. If she is going to be captured, or to die, because of her actions on this evening, better that he hate her instead. The pain will be less when word gets out.

"Then say it!" Demonder steps forward now, interrupting horse and woman. He takes Rennar's arm, pushing her back enough so that she is facing him. There's that pain, and want, and despiration, and complete collapse within his eyes. Yet strength, and determination. All mixed into the lord. "Tell me you don't love me and I'll leave. Say anything else, and I'll stay. I've told you that a dozen times this night, but you can't, can you? You can't say it."

There is a mangled cry of pain from Rennar as Demonder grips her arm and spins her about. Those emerald eyes stare back at him, still holding the fire from their defiance before - there is also her own strength and determination, "Why? So you can go walk to your grave either way? I think not."

At the cry of pain Demonder does release her, but not before taking a step forward so that he is closer to her. At just under six feet, those broad shoulders and tall height loom over her, and even though he would not hurt her, unfortunately appearances might be otherwise. "I delt with your death once before," his words are harsh in tone. "I would a hundred times over if that's what was demanded of your love. Do not make assumptions on me, Renni."

"Are not my assumptions truth...?" Oh, Rennar feels the imposition upon her. For a moment, she seems to cringe away from Demonder. She glances about, looking for an opening in which she may escape, "I demand nothing of you, or your love, only that you let me live my life as I see fit to live it. But, you can't live with that, you've already stated it several times over."

Demonder growls at the last, his arms ready to take another hold of her if she tries to leave. "Very well then! What point is there in running, if you can simply submit yourself to the Tower? Do what takes courage, Renni! Tell me you don't love me, go to the blasted Tower so that they could have you caged and studied. Better that then to pretend you will get far once you leave Caemlyn. They'll follow you and kill you before the next day-light." Demonder's eyes cool, his face red with anger, but something else begins to form. He takes a step back from her at the last of his words.

"Better that, than to be caged, I would think." Rennar responds, not moving away from, simply turning herself so that her back is to him once more - to conceal her expression. There's a fear about her, with talk of cages, undisclosed. She almost seems to tremble, though she tries to keep it as invisible as possible.

"And what of these others that chase you?" Demonder asks sharply, taking a step forward. Now he will prey on her weakness, to keep her safe at all cost. Maybe a selfish motivation on his part, but one he does not ease up on. "They know of what you can do. If your uncle had you leashed like a dog, to be used for his sick games, what will they do? The ones that had Jeffrin tied with strings that they pulled?" He doesn't take notice of her weakness, not conciously, but he knows what might keep her here.

There is another tremble, more visible this time. "I will refuse them what they want to know, no matter what they do to me." Rennar's words are soft, and quiet as she responds. She doesn't turn to face him. "I bent once, i will not do so again. They will break me, if they've no use for me." She's put some thought into that. Maybe she's accepted her own possible death.

"No," it is a whispered denial of her words, but one that holds enough determination as though it were screamed. As Rennar faces him, he can be seen shaking his head. "I won't let that happen to you." He could not let the woman he loves go through the pain of it again, not after seeing her barely survive it once. Little does he know there is more to come. "I can't." There isn't much more to it, as she once again doesn't say it. Demonder had been lost on strength, no doubt. After two months of greeving for his love, to then have her return but not as she was, to the struggle of keeping her safe at all cost.. Demonder simply shakes his head in not accepting of that sort of fait for her.

Her resolve does seem to melt a small bit, at seeing Demonder's grief laid plain before her. Rennar's eyes soften marginally, but then they harden, "If that is what the Wheel has written for me, there is no stopping what is to come." She doesn't know what the Wheel has in store for her, only that it toys with her, "Why else would I be granted this... curse?" She does not see it as a gift, not one bit.

"I want to be with you for this," Demonder speaks the words quietly, eyes losing their edge as he simply states what he feels. That anger beginning to fall lost to the pain. "I want you to let me help you, so that you are not alone in your struggles." At those very words, Demonder struggles with the contours of his face, that angered edge returning for the briefest of moments. "It was not right, the way it was since your return. Before you trusted me with your deepest secret even before the day I proposed to you at the Ogier Grove. You loved and trusted me with your life. But now?" Demonder simply shrugs with uncertainty. The lord begins to hold to his stomach, the first indication of his illment, caused by the emotional turmail and not from the poison that isn't there.

There is a long silence between them, as Rennar's emerald gaze takes in Demonder's features. At one point, it almost looks as if she would reach out to him, to touch his face and brush away all the pain caused by this. There is a longing there to do so, yet she steels herself against it, unable to let herself recant and feel. Various emotions struggle to enter her eyes, and move across her face - fear, hurt, anger, pain, anxiety, and love? - none of them winning out their battle. "So, I am to allow you to protect me, but I am not allowed to do the same in return?" She finds her tongue, finally, slowly shaking her head from side to side, "I can't live with that. /If/ we are to stay together, it has to be on mutual terms. And, you will have to accept that I'm not going to tell you everything right away, but you /will/ be told. I have been up front with you with everything. If you expect me to rush to you the moment something occurs, and to spill it forth, I'm sorry. That's just not going to happen. If you can't accept this, then leave."

While holding his arm against his stomach, the other struggles at the belt that holds his axe. The weapon falls as he unloops the leather strap, then the belt is loosened so not to be as tight around his stomach. Demonder takes a step forward, uncertainty as clear as anything. One could picture a single man on a paddle boat in the middle of a storm that would surely have him dead, the thunder and the winds curling against him, the boat filling with water as he struggles to use a single bucket to keep himself afloat by trying to remove hte water. After a night of struggle, what does one do when they see the sun and blue skies just beyond the next cloud, so near to his reach. Peace. Demonder does reach for her, his hand outstretched to lay upon her cheek, those he hesitates inches away. "I accept it. Don't think I will be pleased when you harbour a kidnapper within the palace without telling me," as if that was going to happen again. Right? "But I will accept it."

"Tell me this... would you rather not see your quarry, than to have it strike you from behind?" Rennar doesn't move away from Demonder's gaze, she simply watches him, waiting for an answer. She makes no mention of his acceptance yet either.

"I'd rather see it before it striked," Demonder answers, his eyes moving between a mix of emotions as his fingers do softly touch upon her cheek. Every so softly. He does look confused at Rennar's words.

"Then," Rennar continues, "wouldn't logic suggest that it is better to put someone in a position where they can be watched, so they cannot strike?" Slowly, carefully, Rennar tries to explain her reasoning, an explainatoin that seemed to have gone lost on all last evening when she revealed the truth of the matter.

After all that has happened, Demoner doesn't understand right-away. He nods his head slowly, in agreement, and then shakes his head. "But to place the person in position where they have selected to be placed?" he asks quietly then, realizing where her words lead. "Renni, I don't disagree with you. I stood by your side when the Queen showed reasonable doubts of the matter. I will stand by you regardless of your choices. I only mean, that is where Sadi wants to be. As a noble."

"Aye, as a noble." Rennar murmurs, her eyes carefully regarding Demonder. "A place where she will have much trouble fitting into. I only promised her the comforts of nobility - and a possibility of teaching her to fit into society. But, look at her now. She does not fit in. Mistakes made on her part would be grave mistakes. I never promised her protection." She sighs deeply, steping away from Demonder a bit, eyes lowering, "What /was/ I to do? Had I not agreed, she could have killed me, or any one of my family, or even you. I couldn't have risked that."

Demonder casts his eyes downward as well, this time to think her words through. It is a matter of contemplating thought before he looks up to Rennar again. "I wish you had told me earlier," is all he states, before taking a step forward as she takes one back. "But sometimes I look to you more as the woman I love, then the woman that is a High Seat of Hune." Somehow, in tone, Demonder lowers himself a dozen times in rank by those words.

"Aye, well... I doubt the Queen will as understanding to my reasoning. She might have accepted matters for now, but I very much doubt my position... I could be very well stripped of my position, and I would not blame her." Rennar's voice holds a sort of tired dejectedness to it. She realized, very much, what her actions could have done to her. She took a great risk into accepting Sadi into her family. She took an even greater risk exposing that knowledge. She could have just kept quiet, but she did not.

After the heated moments of their argument, this is the quiet still after the storm where one reflects. And Demonder does just that, though his eyes are drawn to hers, wanting her to confirm they relationship. And the love she would not admit or deny earlier. Demonder nods his head slowly, trying to focus on the subject at hand even when he wants anything but to speak on it. "She saved your life," Demonder reasons with her. "Yet she endangered it all the same. If we keep an eye on her, insure she only hears what we want her to hear, then it may be fine. If the Queen acts against her, then she will be free to do so." By Queen, he likely means her gaidin.

"Likely, if she acts against Sadi, she will act against me as well." Rennar tries to put things into perspective. "I harbored a criminal. That is an offense, in Andor. Punishible. The Queen would be well within her rights to place me right along side my uncle."

Demonder simply drops to the ground, and leans against the pole that separates two stalls. With his arms folded around his leg, he simply nods. "Yes, of course. She is your friend, one that trusts you." The tail end of hope comes through those words, since that trust may have been shaken. "Renni..." Demonder looks up to her. "I will not question the way you run House Hune. If this way a matter to put me at my place, consider it a success. I am not your equal."

Demonder's words seem to sting at Rennar. She winces visibly. "I was not trying to put you anywhere." Her words come softly. She walks away from the seated Lord, moving back toward the front of the building, "I was trying to protect you, and everyone else, but it seems I failed in even doing that." She wraps her arms about her waist tightly, hugging herself for comfort, "I do not make a very good High Seat, and were Aislynn to die, I would make an even worse Queen."

"Lady Hune," now Demonder begins with the official tones. "You've made matters very clear between us, but I suggest you do not simply walk away from here. You've yet to admit your love for me, or the fact that our marriage is still moving as scheduled. Or that you will perhaps attempt to seek some sort of comfort with the man that is to be your husband." There's a 'whether you like it or not' tone in his voice, though it is not heavy with anger. He ignores the other words, for now.

"Would I have done the things that I've foolishly done had I not loved you?" Those words are softly spoken, even now as they escape Rennar's lips. "Whether or not our marriage continues, is up to you Lord Roesone. You were the one who wished to break it off in the first place. I merely took an opportunity presented before me to better protect you, questionable though it may be - you did the same." She does stop, but she makes no move to go back to Demonder. "You would be well within your rights to continue with your current line of thought for the evening, and cancel it, if that were your desire."

"I wanted to see you gain strength before my death," Demonder states quietly, his eyes searching the floor of the stables. "I had seen it. And I no longer believe I will die." Though he still holds his stomach at the next move, releasing one leg from his hold to do so. "I do believe I've made it clear that I wish to be by your side in this matter. Though I wished this night would not have the consiquences we will likely face in the coming days."

"I will ta-" Rennar starts to say, breaking off her words. She grows silent a moment, still hugging herself, as she contemplates matters further, "We will take each day one by one, and survive them together. I don't ever expect you to fully trust or understand what it is that I do, or even accept it. I knew there was a chance that you'd do something more drastic when I mentioned Sadi."

"I will not betray your intentions," Demonder states simply, using the aid of the pillar to stand from his seated position. He looks to Rennar, eyes over-looking the beautiful woman that was nearly lost to him, though perhaps now he at least half-accomplished his goal. She seems stronger now and not as meek, for for how long? And at what cost? Demonder begins to step toward her slowly. "Is it your plan to always run your life without consoltation?" he asks simply.

"Could you believe that that concept is still very much new to me? I told you, I have been alone for a long time, even though I had family. There are few i can speak with, and trust, completely. Though, I'd like to think I can count you amongst those few." Rennar answers Demonder, her voice a quiet murmuring. she stands within teh middle of the building, back to the Lord who is leaning upon the pillar.

Demonder half limps toward Rennar as he pushes away from the pillar. "There is much we still need to learn of eachother, even after the years spent together." In truth, they did not spend that much time together. Not when their courting included brief periods of separation, and not when she had gone missing for months after their friendship and love began to flourish toward their wedding day. As he makes his way toward her, his hand begins to outstretch to take a warm hold of her arm.

Chade opens the door and slowly enters the stables, he lets out a sigh when he sees the couple though whether a sigh of relief or frustration one can not tell, he takes up a position close to the door not saying anything just waiting.

"Then perhaps it would be better to extend the waiting period upon our wedding, yes?" The reply comes in soft tones to Demonder's words. "If the things between us are all that great." Rennar's eyes catch the light entering the stable once more. She spies Chade and nods slightly to him. She does not pull away from Demonder's touch, or hold. She simply stands there, letting him be near.

Chade remains quiet and considers leaving now that he knows the two are still alive and atleast appear to be more friendly towards one another than earlier.

Demonder pulls her into an embrace of sorts, though he doesn't hold her beyond the hand at her arm. As his front moves to her back, Demonder's fingers brush through Rennar's hair so that he may speak to her in quiet whispers. "I was ready to marry you the day I proposed, Renni. I would not have proposed otherwise."

Demonder's fingers seem to go through the 'illusion' that is Rennar's hair, though they do catch on some stubble of new growth - it's starting to grow back. The weave that is the illusion shimmers within the light, and looks faded. Soon, it may be no longer, exposing the Rennar underneath the guise of her true form. "I want matters clear between us, before we take that step." She comments quietly, "If we are to take that step."

Chade lets out a quiet sigh of relief and turns to leave, slowly opening the door trying to slip out unnoticed.

"Do not speak with 'ifs' Renni," Demonder states with almost a hint of warning. "You and I agreed to marriage on the day of our engagement. It was what we both wanted, what I still want. I will not place an 'if' each time matters between us become an inconvenience." Well, he had just done that the night, but Demonder won't go into that. "We are either committed to eachother no matter what the struggle, or not. I will not have an area of grey simply because our lives are threatened. Starting now." That last might be almost laughable, as Demonder saves himself from the earlier contradiction.

"You can, I hope, understand the fact that I might still be wary of our exact relationship." Oh, she would be the one to bring up the night before. "I was not the one who started with the 'ifs' and ultimatums. I merely accepted your desires, knowing I could not be the kind of wife that you wanted." Rennar's words are soft as she speaks then, pain still filling her voice, "I still very much doubt that now, but I am willing to try."

Chade leaves the stables and heads towards the courtyard of Tiras Lorn.

"I do not want a type of wife," Demonder corrects quickly. "I want you. And I want you safe." That's all that Demonder needs to reason to explain his actions, his hand encouraging her to twist in his half-embrace. "And I want you to be happy."

As encouraged, Rennar does so twist about in Demonder's embrace. Her eyes are lowered, doubt showing on her features. He was, afterall, her one standing stone of support through most things - the Queen the other. "Happiness is but a dream, one that is lived in youth."

"Will you marry me then?" Demonder asks near whisper, as though re-affirming their engagement commitment to each other. Demonder doesn't want to pull her in too close to his embrace, scared that she may push away again, but he does bring her closer to him.

Slowly, uncertainly, Rennar raises her eyes to gaze into Demonder's own, searching his for the certainty that his words seem to show her. There is a touch of fear within her own eyes, as she searches Demonder's features, frightened that he may, perhaps, change his mind. "If you will have me." Yes, another 'if', but he was the one that pushed her away the evening before. "Then, yes."

"I will have you," Demonder brushes by the words all too quickly, as though stating the obvious. "Now, will you marry me?" He asks again, not wanting any 'ifs' and simply waiting for the answer. Demonder's hand does begin to pull her nearer to him, his hand resting on her waist and moving her closer.

There is a vague look of reassurance touching her eyes. Slowly, Rennar nods to Demonder's words, "I will, as I had wanted to before. It was my love for you, Demonder, that kept me from breaking. Had it not been for that, I don't know what would have happened."

Demonder nods to those words, his hand brushing past the illusion of hair as he encourages her into his embrace. There is something that changes about Demonder, perhaps needing to hear some sort of reassurance, likely more so then she. And likely needing it from the day she returned. "Good, my love. Now we may stride for happiness. But first, for survival." Well, clearly the latter with all the immidiate dangers. "Did you want to return to the palace?"

Her arms go about Demonder in a warm, yet tentative embrace, still seeming uncertain of herself. Feeling his arms going about her more tightly, Rennar strengthens her own embrace. She winces and cringes at the same time, at mention of the Palace. "No." She states rather firmly. "I wish that I could just disappear, but that's not likely to happen either." She sighs deeply, sinking further into Demonder's embrace, "I don't know what I want, or even should do."

"Then we shall sleep in the stables until morning," Demonder states with the faintest of amusement on his voice, some hint of his sense of humour returning. Though he is being serious on the suggestion. "None would seek us out here, but for your scribe." Little by little, the embrace does gain in strength. Demonder begins softly kissing Rennar's fore-head, his eyes playing through the Illusion of hair as he kisses up higher, before tilting Rennar's head back enough for a further kiss on the lips. "It will not be easy, love, but we will get past this."

"Will we?" Rennar asks quietly, nothing in her voice suggestiong she believes that statement, "I just barely got the last bit of turmoil. I don't know that I can go through much more." She leans her head against his shoulder, her grip about him tightening a bit more.

Well, where else does she plan to sleep? Maybe the inn. Yes, that would be well enough. Demonder would not think she would want to approach her old apartment within the Hune manor, even if it is ready. And the Roesone manor is located on a flat peice of land that burnt down full ways but for the brick fireplaces that were scattered through the structure. "We will." He does seem very serious on this, or maybe he waits for Rennar to make a better suggestion. Demonder slowly lifts her into his arms, on arm around the shoulders while the other hooking underneath her legs. He holds her head tightly to his chest as he begins to head out, or toward the pile of hay.

Rennar simply allows herself to be plucked from the ground, with a bit more dignity than the last time. She melds herself to Demonder's body, for comfort and to aid him in carrying her. She makes no protest to where he wishes to take her, growing quiet in her thoughts.

And indeed Demonder does place her upon the hay. It is a good thing Rennar had already backed her mare, which was brought into the stables by the boy that Demonder had paid earlier. Demonder does go to the animal, and where the camping gear would have been unstrapped. Taking out a few long sleeping blankets, he brings them to Rennar.

Rennar settles herself quietly within the hay. She watches Demonder as he moves over to her horse, then unpacks the bags. "She should be seen to." Rennar murmurs quietly, "Put away."

"Yes," Demonder nods in agreement, setting up a place for them to sleep before helping Rennar with the mare. "She your favorite?" It an interesting question, for perhaps Rennar would not have taken her favorite depending on the sort of journey she was planning on.

"One of many, though she was chosen for her coloring. In the winter snows, she would have been camoflaged while camped out." Rennar rises from her seat upon the hay, and starts over to the horse to help prepare her for the evening.

Demonder nods to that, finished the untrapped of the saddle before taking the reigns to escort the mare back to her stall. "Shall I scavage for food outside?" There were still without their dinner, after-all. "Or have we had enough excitement for this night?"

"There's food enough in the saddle bags." Rennar murmurs quietly, eyes studying Demonder in a quiet manner, "Are you well enough to eat?"

Demonder nods slowly. "If you insist I am not dying," he notes faintly, his stomach still not of great healthy. Though he had nearly forgotten about the matter until it was brought up again. How the subconcious works... "I will be fine."

"I insist." Rennar's words are firm, "And were you, I would follow behind closely." Perhaps a symbol of her love to him, that she'd be willing to follow him to the grave?

Demonder moves an arm around Rennar, and even though he limps, he doesn't use her for physical support. "Then I shall eat." He will not fight this matter, as he manages a fond smile. "What is for dinner then? I hope you packed something tasty?"

"Please take care that sparks do not set the hay on fire...?" Rennar's voice calls after Demonder, seeing what he is doing. She pulls her cloak tightly about her shoulders as she regards the blanket and finally settles upon it. She waits for Demonder to return before digging through the saddle bags.

It takes some time, but Demonder does start the fire from across where they will sleep. The heat offered might only be slight. He does make his way back to the hay, eyes on his intended all the longer while he walks. "Anything would be welcomed now, I think.'

Rennar waits for Demonder to get settled within his seat, regarding him with quiet eyes, "You go ahead. I don't think I could eat now, even if I wanted to."