A Dance Between Lovers [Vanator]

by **Sybel** on May 19th, 2013, 2:05 pm

It seemed she was not alone – Vanator’s eyes were overridden with love, wandering from her weapon to the warm flesh of her lips. With a sharp gasp, she felt her feet suddenly leave the ground and before she knew it, they were both piled in a heap. Her breathless laughter chorused with his, filling the air. ”I’d call it a draw,” she mused quietly, blushing to the sensation of his fingers in her hair. It was a wonderful contrast, ferocity and then tenderness… He was truly a worthy man and Sybel’s vulnerable heart swelled.

Then, it happened.

Her eyes went wider than plates. ”Ah,” she stammered, completely caught off-guard. A whole parade of emotion ran through her at top speed: joy, awe, anger, and most of all, cold fear. Icy shards of hysteria stabbed at the pit of her stomach and her throat grew tight. Tears began to threaten, glistening in the warmth of the sun. ”I…”

”Yes,” she whispered. Desperation filled her gaze. How could she say no? In spite of the sinking feeling, she had to try… Vanator was everything she’d ever dreamed of. He was a strong, understanding, beautiful man. Sybel could not let this foolish pride triumph over love. Heart thumping in her ears, she sat leaned in to kiss Vanator’s parted lips. ”My love,” she murmured in broken Pavi, ”wherever your heart goes, let mine go with it.” And by Ovek, she meant it. Let luck shine on this gamble.

Bel’s conflicted heart raged. There was urgency in the way she moved her lips against his, as if seeking panacea to her pain. What could she become without the freedom that defined her? What would her sacrifices mean? There was still so much of Mizahar she wished to see… But the words jammed in her throat. Their unrelenting force choked tears from her eyes. Vanator was Drykas and further, an Ankal’s son. He had a duty to his people. Sybel was a wanderer, a nobody.

In her wildest dreams, they could run together. He’d revealed a rogue temptation to experience the world, once. But she couldn’t entice him into abandoning his family nor his life. Short of breath, she drew away to gaze upon him, eyes stricken with a profound melancholy. Could she stay, for him? Or would she have to say goodbye?

by **Vanator** on May 22nd, 2013, 1:46 pm

Vanator's proposal had been restrained from his tongue for days, the Denusk already resolved to ask for Sybel's hand, when the time was right. The Drykas took no consideration for timing when his passion and excitement compelled the words to spill forth, the contents of his heart no longer willing to be contained. There was no thought either to the sudden ambush Van had set upon his lover, though he understood the look of shock that crossed the Benshiran woman's face.

For the duration of the breath it took for Sybel to inhale before her answer, Vanator's heart hovered over a fire, ready for it to be warmed or incinerated, depending on the girl's response. The breath was taken and expelled in a hushed affirmation and confirmed Sybel's desire to be with him. Only once did Vanator's gold-flecked gaze drift from her loving eyes, when he watched the fullness of her lips form the word 'yes'.

The kiss was passionate, but tainted with an element Vanator could not place. The Drykas thought little of it, perhaps just the tint of the gravity of the moment, until their eyes met once again. The Denusk read the solemnity in the light sky blue of her soul windows, the soberness of the turn of her lovely mouth that only hinted at a placating smile. Something moved Sybel deeply at that moment. Vanator hoped it was simply the sincerity of the circumstances, the realization of what he thought was both of their dreams. But a nagging doubt, an instinctual hunch, whispered otherwise in the man's mind.

"Sybel," The horseman spoke softly, a look of concern painting his features. Vanator brushed away a stray lock of raven hair that had fallen across her face. "What is it? What's wrong?"

by **Sybel** on July 3rd, 2013, 11:08 pm

He knew. Vanator must have felt the anxiety in her kiss. He was the picture of concern, looking down at her helpless form. Sybel wracked her brain for something – anything to say, but every word and every idea fell short. There was just nothing. And the panic was there in full bloom, eating away at her intentions. She wanted to just marry him, to throw caution to the wind. But it was just Hael, all over again. The thought of losing her identity was too much to bear.

So she lied. ”Nothing.” Sybel gave a nervous titter. ”Nothing, darling. Just thinking of home.” Which was partially true, though home never brought her any comfort. The thought of home was crowded with overbearing relatives and crushing despair. Even Mijah and Sijah held nothing for her, too preoccupies with families of their own. All she’d ever wanted was to explore the world, to find her place. And here it was, being offered with a kiss.

But she didn’t want it.

What a fool she’d been. To think that she could have a perfect life with Vanator and still taste the wind on her tongue. It was all too much, too soon. There was the longing to go with Kavala when she could have. Regret pockmarked her soul. Sybel just couldn’t handle it.

”I’m just so happy…” She sniffed. Gazing into his eyes, she tried to connect with that thought. Perhaps tonight would be the night they’d find solace in one another. Maybe if she just gave of herself, he’d chase her fears away. Maybe if she told him the truth…

But the thought of intimacy bore down on her like lead. ”I’d call our match even, wouldn’t you say? We can tell the clan that you trounced me, if you’d like.” She grinned. Humor never left her side. ”You fought bravely. I’ve only ever had to fight for my life, so it was refreshing to have something else to aim for. Unless you plan to kill me, that is. It’d be quite a twist.”

by **Vanator** on July 7th, 2013, 6:57 pm

Maybe Sybel was that good at hiding her second thoughts, maybe Van was that good at convincing himself what he sensed as hesitaiton in his lover's demeanor was nothing. He looked up from the ground as the desert girl peered down at him, her raven mane cascading around her bronze features, a smile donning his masculine mouth as he dismissed his suspicions. Sybel had said yes, she said her heart would follow his anywhere. She was perfect for him, Van knew it. They were in love, real honest love. Bel would be a great wife, even father could not deny it, though she wasn't Drykas, yet.

With a short laugh Vanator juked his hips to the left, pushing Sybel off of him to the right, rolling the woman onto the ground. The Drykas launched to his feet, taking hold of Sybel's lean muscled arm and hoisting her up as well. The Benshiran's smile ignited a broad grin stretching across her love's lips.

"I am afraid we have some witnesses that would betray our ruse, and out you as the victor!" His eyes darted to the heads that ducked around corners or turned to pretend to be engulfed in other tasks. "And you have impressed me, my dear. It seems Benshiran know more than how to herd a goat and toss a rock with a leather strap. I can't think of one reason I would ever have to kill you, but if I did, I had better do while you sleep!"

Vanator snatched up his ax, his arm encircling Sybel's waist, escorting her back to the main center of the pavilion encampment. "Mother and father should be the first to hear the news!" He exclaimed excitedly.

by **Sybel** on July 14th, 2013, 3:47 pm

”That you’d better,” she sang teasingly, lost in the moment. ”But be careful. I sleep lightly these days.” If Vanator did not see it, he chose not to. Her smile was somewhat strained, weighted down by the steel in her heart. The words ‘mother’ and ‘father’ stung acutely; she’d be letting them down too. Wait, by... By doing what, exactly?

She was going to run.

Sybel realized with horror that the plan had already formed itself. No matter how she tried to resist it, she’d find her feet moving on even when her head was standing still. She had to stop it somehow, to call it off… But to do that would be to burn that bridge forever. The imagined scorn in his eyes was too much to bear. Vanator might hate her. And that in reality was so much worse. Let his parents hate her, but not him. Let the whole Pavilion jeer and throw rocks. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d been ridiculed.

”Okay,” she whispered brokenly, still carrying her smile.

-

That night in her tent, she gathered what she needed. Sybel took special care to go unnoticed in her packing, very casually bringing some items inside while leaving others to stay. Cookware came along but gifts could stay. Her Drykas clothing she laid out delicately, as if to leave the identity behind her. When the moon was halfway across it’s journey, she’d set off into the Sea of Grass. Of course, they would all know. Brief descriptions of the web had taught her that much. So she penned a note, as sincerely as she could, and left it on her bedroll:

’Vanator,

My heart is with the wind but also with you. The wind just blew stronger.

Sybel’

Tears fell. Her hands shook. The grief tasted like dry desert sand. She put one foot in front of the other and between the two, she found herself somewhere else. Standing beside her horse, she looked back at the flickering tents. Endrykas was a rare gem, a strange bastion of hope amidst the terror of the Grass. Vanator would marry someone else – perhaps multiple women, as was their way.

She was no Tamar.

That was her last thought, save goodbye, as Eplah slowly carried her out of sight.

by **Vanator** on July 17th, 2013, 11:53 am

It was still early when Vanator made his way to Sybel's small encampent across Endrykas. There was a definite bounce in his step, a fuller puff to his broad chest as he made his way through the Sapphire clan pavilions. Several clansmen and women congratulated him, or simply offered a wink or a grin. Word had traveled fast overnight. Vanator, the heir to the Ankal of the Denusk Pavilion, had finally chosen a wife.

Eachann and Nadra were happy for their son, both offering reserved approval of the Benshiran. She was not Drykas, yet, but kin had told them how she handled her sword against Van, which impressed father. After all, Kavala and Akela's mother wasn't even human, and she became Drykas.

Still young in their courtship, Vanator's thoughts never strayed far from the raven-haired woman. He wanted to start the day out sharing breakfast with the love of his life. The desert girl was not an early riser, and he wanted the pleasure of waking her himself. But Sybel had already risen.

The note was short, but the woman he had fallen for so desperately made her feelings eloquently clear. It was little consolation. She said she loved him. Sybel had said she wanted to marry him. She had promised to be with him, that wherever his heart went, she would go with him.

And that was why she left. Sybel was a self-confessed wanderer. She knew marrying a Drykas would mean a life in the grasslands. Vanator's heart would stay put, condemning Sybel to a life dictated by traditions, survival, and a never ending circuit around the Sea of Grass. The Denusk should have seen it, should have known better. The note was neatly folded and tucked into a pocket.

Tamar was taken from him against her will. Sybel left him of her own will. Vanator could not decide which was more devastating.

by **Praetorian** on August 22nd, 2013, 5:25 pm

Your Diligence Has Been Rewarded!

Sybel

Observation	+4 XP
Weapon: Longsword	+3 XP
Seduction	+1 XP
Socialization	+2 XP
Brawling	+2 XP

Pondering Love Leads to Insomnia
Vanator: Quicker Than He Looks
The Proposal: A Loss of Freedom
Vanator: The Love She Left
The Wind Blew Harder

Vanator

Weapon: Ax	+3 XP
Brawling	+2 XP
Socialization	+2 XP
Seduction	+1 XP

The scent of dog barf... Yep. That's arousing. Not.
Sybel: The Patient Predator
The Proposal: A Declaration of Love
A Note Goodbye
Sybel: The Wandering Heart

Notes :

Flashback A Dance Between Lovers [Vanator]