Drumwe Isles

chapter 28

(tw: violence, arguing, mild smut)

The group of them had made it past the singing caves and were wandering about the forest now. They hadn't been told any exact sort of location of the tree, and really they didn't know what the tree would look like. Still, there was a lot of money on the line for them and they had a job to do.

When Kieran started to feel fatigued, they took rest by a small stream and refilled their water pouches. Enid announced they had to be somewhat close now and Lynet seemed to be bored.

Suddenly the red haired lass threw her water pouch to the ground and stomped towards Kieran. She got right in front of him and puffed out her shoulders wildly.

"I find it terrifically convenient you're tired as soon as we get this close."

Kieran looked at her emptily. He didn't have anything to say.

"What kind of oaf crosses pixies in a foreign forest anyhow?"

To this, Cael stood and began to move towards them.

"What? Nothing to say? You're downright pathetic."

Kieran stood stone-faced and absent as Enid grabbed his arm and pushed him behind her, standing in front of the agitated woman.

"Down, lass. That's not a fight you could win anyhow."

"No, that's not a fight you could win, wench. We are not the same."

Cael grabbed Lynet's shoulder and spun her around with a fire in his eyes.

"What is your damned problem?"

Enid ushered Kieran away from Lynet and started trying to comfort him. Neither Cael nor Lynet noticed them slipping off, now consumed with rage.

"My problem is that your whole blithing unit is slowing us down."

"Oh? And yours was doing so well before we came along."

Now Lynet drew her war axe furiously. Cael scoffed at her, drawing his sword.

"You don't know anything about my unit."

"Well they were obviously sooo efficient that they all perished."

Lynet slashed her axe towards him and he blocked it with his sword firmly. Both of them were enraged beyond all reason and a duel seemed the perfect way to settle the matter.

"Damn you all to hell, I hope yours perishes next!"

"If it does, you're coming down with us, you braggart!"

Cael pushed against her axe forcefully with his sword, causing Lynet to stagger back some. Whilst she focused on regaining balance he stepped forward and swung for her chest. The strike hit her chestplate, doing little if anything to damage the woman, but instead provoking her further.

She charged at him, slashing her large weapon back and forth before him. Cael did his best to block each heavy blow but her weapon had the advantage in weight and he found himself struggling. Eventually she'd backed him against a large tree and their blades crossed again, holding them in place.

Cael then kicked Lynet in her stomach causing her weapon to fall from her hands. He kicked it away from her across the forest floor and sheathed his own weapon. Lynet was scrambling to her feet when the man pinned her down to the forest floor roughly.

The woman struggled against him with fury but Cael was a very solid man, all muscle and thus an overwhelming amount of weight. Lynet stilled against him and they bore into each other with looks of complete venom.

"At some point Cael, you will turn around in a dark alley and at one end, I will be there."

Cael's eyes darkened. When Lynet opened her mouth to continue her gruesome descriptions of his death and demise, Cael kissed her forcefully on the mouth. Enraged by the notion, she kissed back, biting his bottom lip until it tore. He groaned, letting the blood slip into her mouth and pulling her hair roughly, yanking her this way and that against him.

They'd managed to roll so she was atop him and she dug her nails into his neck with fingers wrapped tightly around his neck. She let go and Cael took the opportunity to yank her away from him by the handfuls of silky red and sink his teeth into her neck.

She hissed at the feeling and struck him. He didn't flinch, flashing a dark and mocking look her way. Lynet could hardly stand him.

They pulled away with ragged and laboured breaths, each dishevelled in their own fashion and both of them bleeding and bruised. For a while, neither said anything.

"Cael."

"What?"

His tone was agitated but not quite so murderous as before.

"I hate you."

The man chuckled, licking the blood from his bottom lip.

"I don't care."

Lynet felt a great relief hit her and she laughed then, a bit hysterically.

"Gods of Azzan, you're bloody mad."

She looked at him then, a small smile on her lips.

"You haven't the slightest idea."

They pulled apart then, Lynet standing up and off of him, while Cael rolled to a kneeling position and grabbed his sword. When their weapons were tucked back into their proper places, they eyed one another, expressions unreadable. 

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