Flashback [The Seat Of The World] Secret Excursion (Matthew)

[Raven Nightfoot]

8th of Summer 509AV It was early morning somewhere deep in the wildlands, it was dark and silent, no birds sang and only the sound of the gentle winds through the trees could be heard. A small group of people were camping out just beside the path, their tents had been pitched and they were all sleeping soundly, all except one. Raven was silently getting dressed in the privacy of her tent, the three squires charged with keeping her safe were all fast asleep, two in one of the other tents and one passed out by what had been the campfire, although now only embers remained. Their four person group had since combined with another group of people who were also on route to Syliras. The squires had insisted that as knights to be, it was their duty to provide protection to any one they could and so, to Raven's dismay, their group had grown. The only reason Raven wasn't happy about it was because the group contained Matthew, a very attractive man that Raven had met alone at Priskil's Pond a few days ago. The pair had had quite the game of seduction and Raven hadn't gotten her way and so she slightly resented the young man who had resisted her feminine wiles. Over the past few days she had barely spoken to him, although that was mostly because she didn't want the squires to know anything about their encounter at Priskil's Pond, lest they report back to her parents. That was the last thing she wanted, her parents made a habit of being overprotective even when it came to people she associated with, so she preferred that they didn't know about any of her acquaintances. The previous day, one of the groups caravan wheels had broken and it had already been too dark for the men to fix it so they had decided they'd get on it in the morning, although they suspected it would take a while and decided they would camp there for another night. Hearing this news had planted an idea in Raven's head, actually it was more of a scheme. She knew that The Seat Of The World was only about a mile away from the campsite and since the squires refused to let her go, or go with her, she had decided to sneak out before the dawn. The fun part however, was that she planned on taking Matthew with her, perhaps this would be her second chance to get what she had so badly wanted back at Priskil's Pond...him. She was now dressed and ready to go in her figure hugging black leather outfit, consisting of boots, pants and a corset. Slowly she emerged from her tent, amber eyes alert, examining the campsite to see if anyone seemed to be awake. Once she was sure the coast was clear she snuck as quietly as she could over toward the tent where Matthew slept alone and entered. She admired his sleeping form for a moment, so handsome, so attractive. The way his chest rose and fell with each breath, the calm expression on his beautiful face. Raven couldn't help but bite her lip lustfully. After a short moment of admiration she placed her hand on his firm muscled chest rubbing it gently in an attempt to awaken him from his sleep. She continued until finally he awoke, his crystal blue eyes meeting hers. "Get dressed handsome, it's time to go." she whispered to him, "Quickly!". They hadn't much time, soon the sun would begin to rise and they needed to be far gone by the time the other members of the group realized they were gone.

[Matthew]

Her urgent words and soft touch caused his chest to twitch, the muscle rippling in the tiniest of shows for her wandering eyes. Blinking sleepily, he sat up a little, the full plane of his chest pressing to the flat of her hand. His dazed blue eyes stared right into her amber ones, a bit surprised to see her, seeing as she had been so quiet as of late. He peered around, trying to figure out what was happening, noticing that it wasn't even bright outside yet. He took a moment to yawn and stretch, banded body pulsing and twitching against her hand, little pops and crackles echoing out from the tired and cramped muscle and bone. He returned his eyes to her, and noting the urgency in her voice, began to get dressed.

The blanket came off as he grabbed at her wrist, slipping it free from his chest, giving him ample room to fully sit straight. He revealed himself just to be in a pair of silk underpants, actually made from really nice fabric. Apparently he cared about his underpants. He groggily looked around, finding a button-up shirt and some trousers, the pants black and the shirt white. Tugging both of them on himself, he left the fitted shirt halfway open, remembering how incredibly hot it was outside.

Groaning, he straightened fully, standing his creaking limps up and offering a hand down to her. He lazily ran his fingers along the side of his neck, brushing some beads of sweat to the side. His hair hung messily, parted to the side and falling in soft bangs, his blue eyes still dazed as he glanced her up and down. Apparently convincing himself that he was awake and this wasn't a dream, he rose an eyebrow, expression confused. "Yes? Raven? Go where?" He instinctively started to head out of the tent, assuming that something was wrong, though he had no idea what. Even if he was rather good at the seducing game, he was painfully naive otherwise.

The cool air hit him outside, and he let out a pleased sigh, pausing a moment as a breeze rolled over him. Like he had that day at the Pond, he stretched out his arms, allowing the cool wind to roll over every inch of his form.

[Raven Nightfoot]

The heat coming from Matthew's chest pulsated against the palm of her hand as he sat up pressing back against it. Next, the blanket had come off and he had moved her hand from it's place causing her to take a step back. She noticed his silk underwear and couldn't help but admire the bulge that they concealed, biting her lip as she used her imagination. He hadn't taken long to get dressed, he put on some dark trousers and a white shirt that adorned his fit form and he reached a hand out to her which she took as she stood up. "Yes? Raven? Go where?" His morning voice seemed even sexier than his usual voice, if that was even possible as he stepped out of the tent before she could even answer. Raven followed him out cautiously and watched as he stretched out, placing a finger against her lips. "Shh." she whispered. "We're sneaking out to go see The Seat Of The World." she added softly. Raven wasn't sure whether Matt would go along with her plan, especially since they were leaving the safety of the camp, but before he could answer she had grabbed his hand and began pulling him towards the nearby trees as quietly as she could. About halfway towards the trees she heard the sounds of coughing coming from the campfire and within a second she had pulled Matthew behind the cover of the nearest tent and placed her hand over his warm mouth to keep him quiet. She peaked her head around the tent and to her relief the squire had returned to his slumber. She removed her hand from his mouth and with the other still holding his hand she began to sneak towards the trees again. Eventually the pair reached the safety of the forest and Raven pulled Matthew behind the trunk of a tree, pressing his back against it and pressing herself against his him before whispering, "Now you can talk."

[Matthew]

Her finger pressed against his full lips, and he rose an eyebrow, gaze still groggy. He had enough of his wits about him though to press his mouth just a bit closer to the invading finger, almost placing a kiss against it, but not quite. He just teased at it, the wetness of his soft lips playing against the surface of her finger. Her words caused him to raise his eyebrow, and he opened his mouth to ask a question before she was suddenly tugging him. He paused again, following her slowly, his pace quickening to match her own. He glanced around at the camp, soaking in the still tents and wagons, everyone asleep but for them. Why in the world were they up so early? One of the many reasons he had left Zeltiva was so he wouldn't have someone waking him up at silly hours of the morning. He opened his mouth again, and yet again was interrupted, as if she had perfectly planned this whole thing.

Those soft lips once again worked against her hand, and he frowned but ended up keeping quiet. He had heard the squire's sigh too, and now realized they were trying to sneak away. But where? And what was the Seat of the World? He slightly remembered it from a map he had been shown on the way here, but he was incredibly blurry on any of the details.

His head was churning at this point, and he absentmindedly followed her through the trees until they were safely in its embrace. She pressed him against another tree, her body following up to keep him pinned. He studied her gaze for a moment, instinctively testing his body against hers, his muscles lightly flexing and pressing into her curves to see just how much power her body had over him at the moment. She would be able to feel this quite well, his gorgeous frame rippling with pent-up force beneath her. His eyes continued to slowly study hers, his hands lightly clenching and un-clenching at his side. He seemed like an impatient power underneath her, struggling not to break free in a display of dominance.

After a few moments of silence, he whispered, tone soft and questioning. "Where are we going? Where is the Seat? Is it out there?" He glanced out to the trees, gaze both nervous and... excited. There was definitely a glimmer of excitement, with daring and danger fighting against the logic in his brain. He wiggled against her, suddenly feeling restless, torn between going back to his tent or taking the lead in their sudden trip back into the wild.

[Raven Nightfoot]

Throughout there little escape Raven constantly had to remind herself to focus, something that was very difficult to do with the young man beside her. It was as if every thing he did was to intentionally distract her, the way his lips pressed against her finger and hand, so soft and full. Even the way he had said her name back in his tent had been distracting, very.. Now they were pinned against a tree, or rather Raven was pinning Matthew against the tree and she could feel him flexing his muscles against her, flexing and releasing over and over again. Why couldn't he stop, just until they were a safer distance from the camp, was he doing all this on purpose? "Where are we going? Where is the Seat? Is it out there?" She was brought out of her thoughts by his questions as she looked up at his blue eyes in the dim light of the moon. "The Seat Of The World, it should be about a mile from here." she responded, not once bothering to ask him if he wanted to go. If he did she would just respond by telling him not to be a baby, She was about to leave when she realised she'd forgotten something, "Wait here." she said as slowly she snuck back in the direction of the camp. She crept as quietly as she could back to the camp and poked her head into one of the squire's tents, inside the two squires were still sound asleep. She searched the inside of the tent quickly finding what she'd been looking for, she lifted the item quietly from it's place beside one of the snoring squires and slowly retreated out of the tent and back towards Matthew with the newly stolen(although she'd argue that it was borrowed) bare shortsword. Once she'd gotten back to the tree where Matthew was waiting she pointed the shortsword at him as if she were about to attack him, her expression serious for a moment, although soon her facade was broken with a smile. "You know how to use one of these right?" she said as she flipped the sword and handed him the hilt before reaching for his bare hand and pulling him along in the supposed direction of the landmark.

[Matthew]

She had answered his question without actually answering it, and he furrowed his brow, confused by her words and slightly frustrated. His body continued to tease and flex, now completely instinctive, perhaps an extension of his flexing mind. He thought over her words, ever so analytical, but it was obvious she was purposefully keeping this trip a secret. He barely noticed as she vanished back towards the camp, body relaxing as he tried to think back over the early morning encounter. He was still a bit unsure how he had gotten out here, why he was going along with this, and what exactly was supposed to happen. She had struck at a really good time, even if she maybe didn't know it. She probably did. He scowled a moment, only snapping out of his thoughts as she approached him.

His body crouched just a bit as she pointed the sword at him, his attention automatically going to the sharp tip. Her charade quickly ended though, and he took a breath of relief, reaching out to grab the sword she offered.

"Nope, no clue." He was unashamed and honest as he set off after her, letting her pull his toned arm along, tan skin still glistening slightly from the sweaty night's sleep. He had no clue how to use a sword, but held tightly to the hilt anyway, forcing his gait to remain graceful and confident. He chewed his lip as his eyes nervously glanced around, checking out the surrounding shadows. He had heard the wilds were dangerous, but it was close to morning, so everything should still be asleep. Right? That, and their destination was only a mile. He tried to focus back on her hips, awed once again by how naturally some women moved them. He couldn't help but get distracted though, glancing around once again.

He drew up close behind her, bumping her from the rear for just a moment, the line of his hip easily felt before he took a small step back. He kept near to her, cutely scared of the dark, oddly confident and dominant when it came to the sensual teasing, but reverting to a young child when it came to the scary unknown. Deep within his eyes though, she might be able to see the spark of excitement. He liked the feeling of danger, even if he would never say it. Even if he would never admit it. "Are we close?" He whispered, hand squeezing hers questioningly.

[Raven Nightfoot]

They walked through the forest for a while at a speed that was neither jogging nor walking but somewhere inbetween, Raven still gripping his large strong hand trying not to think about what Matthew looked like, or was doing behind her. "Are we close?" At the sound of his voice she slowed down, noticing the gentle squeeze he gave her hand, which reminded her that she was still holding it. She released her grip, returning her arm to it's place at her side as she her pace into a casual stroll. "I don't know, maybe halfway?" she said, not certain herself, she hadn't exactly been measuring the distance they'd travelled but she knew it couldn't be much further. With the distance between them and the camp now quite large she decided it time to make conversation, "So, you don't know about The Seat Of The Earth? It's a cave that supposedly existed before the Valterrian as a safe haven for travellers and it still is...or at least that's what they say. It's supposed to be quite beautiful. " she focused on the path ahead while she spoke making sure not to look at him lest she lose her train of thought. It was dawn now, the dark night sky now gradually lighting up, the first few rays of sun burning through the darkness, the forest floor now decently lit. Birds began to sing in the distance as the green glow of the leaves gave the area a lively glow.

[Matthew]

"I have heard of it, but that is about it. A safe haven for travelers, you say?" He visibly relaxed, muscles melting to liquid, his originally tense form now a bit more loose as she told him the good news. He was a little more okay with this journey now, but definitely wanted the walking portion of it to go by faster so they could actually get to the so-called safe haven. He glanced around, needing something to entertain himself... and his eyes fell on Raven, walking quickly in front of him. He tilted his head, sparks going off in his mind, brushing together to fire up a few interesting ideas. The revealing beauty of the world around him went un-noticed, his type of focus always narrowing his world to the one thing he was focused on.

If she had been paying any attention at all, she would have noticed the brief and devious smirk. She was distracted, the the guard he had felt around her earlier was now down. He had come to realize that when trying to get a potential customer, this was a perfect time. Seduction could work so well when they weren't expecting it. If anything, she was specifically keeping her head forward. The tension in the back of her neck, the set line of her jaw. Something in the back of his mind dictated that this was as good as a time as any to practice some more.

Suddenly, he moved, blurring forward. The sword clattered to the ground, and he would grab her, hands firm on her curvy hips. If he was able to get a hold of her, he would push her forward and to the side, strong arms manhandling her body suddenly, pinning her feminine figure to the rough bark of a nearby tree. He pressed against her from behind, his entire body covering hers, a soft finger touching to her lips and his elegant form melting into her own. He shivered slightly, and whispered, voice low and deep. "Shh. I heard something." He kept his finger to her lips, pausing, blue eyes glancing around mysteriously. After a moment of nothing at all happening, this look of mock confusion passed through his eyes, his acting horrible. "Hm. Perhaps the wind? I apologize if I startled you, and for grabbing so suddenly. I could have swore I heard a growl of some sort."

With a small little nod of his head and a coy smile, he walked over to his sword, grabbing the steel and heading back to Raven. Glancing around their surroundings, he turned to her, face excited and expectant. "Let's keep going. We should be close by now, and it is just breaking daylight. It will be beautiful I am sure." His excitement was slowly overcoming his fear, thank goodness.

[Raven Nightfoot]

Raven rolled her eyes choosing to ignore his question about it being a safe-haven, especially since she had just told him exactly that. She continued to walk trying to pay Matthew(and his body) no mind as they headed toward their destination. She had no idea what had happened next... One moment she was calmly walking through the forest, the next she was being grabbed and shoved against the trunk of the tree, releasing a small soft grunt. Them she felt Matthew's body pressing up against her from behind, big, hard and so very hot. She tried to break free but his strength and size were superior to hers as his hands kept hers restrained fairly easily. "Shh. I heard something." His voice was a low rumbling, his finger pressed against her lips to keep her quiet. Try as she may, Raven couldn't help but get flustered. Her breathing deepened ever so slightly in response to the heat coming from Matthew's skin. The thought of whatever sound he had heard barely crossing her mind. "Hm Perhaps the wind? I apologize if I startled you, and for grabbing so suddenly. I could have swore I heard a growl of some sort." And with that she was free as the pressure from behind was alleviated allowing her to step away from the tree and take a breath, she turned to look at him, her eyes filled with scepticism. It seemed like it was just another excuse for him to be...distracting. "Let's keep going. We should be close by now, and it is just breaking daylight. It will be beautiful I am sure." They began walking again but this time Raven made sure to walk beside him so she could watch him suspiciously incase he tried another one of his tricks. "Does everything you do have to be so suspiciously provocative? she asked curiously and cynically,

[Matthew]

He considered her innocently, blue eyes widening to show off the light blue hue, his lower lip sticking out in a perfect pout. It was odd, how much one could change if they really put their mind to it. He had. His seduction was a completely different brand, something practiced and trained and something that he took an odd sort of pride in. Not many people thought this pride was justified, but to him, it was like any other skill or trade. Why shouldn't he take pride in something he had worked so hard to get? He was still working hard, even now, even with this young woman. For a second, his mind turned envious as he thought of her. she seemed to have his skills, but for her, they were a natural extension of herself. For him, they had been carefully crafted and molded onto his normally distant and logical self. He wondered what natural talents he had. Was his brain one of those things? He had noticed people didn't think like him. Not many, at least. "I have no idea what you mean." The words dripped with coy innocence, obviously admitting guilt to some degree, but not openly speaking of his sin. He merely smiled at her, shaking his head as if clueless, hip bumping hers as if he was a little boy goading her on. Once more, the V definition was placed to perfectly brush her own curvy hip, another little calculated move. She was like a puzzle, with each of his little moves another attempt at solving her. At least, a part of her. Once again, his body flexed, but for a different reason this time. While earlier he might have just been showing off, now he was reminding her. Reminding her of the feel, reminding her of the power that had been pressed against her so very dominantly before. He glanced down at the hilt in his hands, suddenly aware of it, shifting it in his grip. He wasn't prone to violence, but not against it. He had just never indulged in it. He rolled it around a bit, twisting at the wrist, observing the sheen and shimmer of the cold steel. He couldn't imagine using it effectively, but had no doubt that there were many people who could. It might be a skill worth learning sometime, just so he could defend himself. The more he stared at the steel, the more he realized how very defenseless he was against any attacks of the physically violent nature. Handsome features were just about to twist into a look of displeasure when their destination caught his eye. It was a limestone palace, with overhangs abound. The entrance loomed in front of them, and inside he could see a mystical light, the slowly-increasing brightness of the sky bouncing off of what looked to be falling water. His jaw loosening a bit, the professional seductiveness unknowingly changed to a look of child-like wonder. He had never been exposed to the natural elements as much as he had on this journey. Much like he had near Priskil's Pond, his blue eyes widened and stared around, speechless as they slowly began to enter the gorgeous and mysterious Seat.