thewidewideworld | (no subject)

{from here}

Sinric waits quietly in the light of the doorway, his eyes down until he heard Athelstan's footfall on the stairs of the veranda. He rises to offer Athelstan his arm. "You should come in where it's warm."

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From:

athelstanthescribe

Athelstan sighs into the kiss, contented.

"I never forget one I've loved."

From:

thewidewideworld

"Not you, nor Ragnar, nor my beloved Constantine. You are all as much a part of my being as my own blood." Sinric settles against Athelstan, at least letting the lethargy weight down his limbs.

From:

athelstanthescribe

"Do you need to sleep, my love?"

From:

thewidewideworld

"No." He tries to stifle the yawn that makes a liar of him. "I feel heavy and wonderfully sated. It is not a feeling I get to rejoice in often."

From:

athelstanthescribe

"Then rejoice in it now." He touches Sinric's cheek. "As long as you can fight the sleep I see gaining on you."

From:

thewidewideworld

"If you were healed, I would throw you down and wrestle with you now just to prove how awake and alert I am." Sinric growls playfully but his dark eyes are heavy and showing it."

From:

athelstanthescribe

"Oh!" He mocks a look of fear. "Then I should be thankful I'm not healed yet."

From:

thewidewideworld

"Hmm." Sinric growls playfully, kissing Athelstan's neck. "I'll let you off lightly this time."

Neither of them could suffer to be wrestled or held down but the joke is fun.

From:

athelstanthescribe

As long as it's playful words, and he knows Sinric would never take it further than that, he can joke about it.

"Thank you for your mercy, Lord Sinric."

From:

thewidewideworld

Sinric falls into giggles ar that, unable to keep a straight face. "Lord Sinric?" Even the sound of it is ridiculous.

From:

athelstanthescribe

"Perhaps it's a prediction. Perhaps you'll come back from the Far East a high lord of their empire."

From:

thewidewideworld

Sinric giggles again and settles down at Athelstan's side. "Decked all in silks and those soft little slippers with the pointed toes?"

From:

athelstanthescribe

"You'd look wonderful. And who knows how men become lords there?"

From:

thewidewideworld

"I do not. I shall have to ask Yan now that I speak his tongue better."

From:

athelstanthescribe

"Is he in the palace now?"

From:

thewidewideworld

He shakes his head. "Fortunately he and his father are due to our court soon. I was afraid I would now see him before the time came to go on campaign with my lord. We have much to plan."

From:

athelstanthescribe

"Where do you think would be a good place to meet him?" Athelstan asks, propping himself on an elbow. "Between Bulgaria and his home?"

From:

thewidewideworld

"I do not yet know. I have much to study of the maps found here. The greatest and most common path to the Silk Road leads through Constantinople and I fear to risk that. I may have to travel some way around to meet the road outside Leo's reach."

From:

athelstanthescribe

"In another land altogether, if you can. You will take care, if it's wild country with any danger of bandits?"

From:

thewidewideworld

He nods. "I have given that much thought. I will bring what I can here in the way of treasures and coin so I need carry on me only the smallest part. Castor has offered to teach me the ways of the knife and bow but if I carry no weapon, I am less of a threat."

From:

athelstanthescribe

Athelstan nods. "And dress in a man's clothes. If they take you for a woman..."

He stops there, remembering the attack.

From:

thewidewideworld

"If they take me for a woman, they will use me as one." Sinric finishes, fully aware of that risk. "But they may do that anyway. But I know how to make a man beg for me, how to charm. If it comes to that, it will be on my terms." There's an edge to his voice, an edge of steel under his soften.