The Hunter and the Hunted (Oliver/Yassia)

[Oliver Strathmore of Mercia]

Oliver returned her thoughtful smile with warmth and a touch of pride at seeing her rising above whatever challenges she had to go through to get here. “I know this may sound like lip service since I know nothing about you at all, but from what I’ve seen so far…you are stronger than you know, Yassia. You just have to believe it...and everything will turn out better in the end,” he told her with fierce and honest conviction in his voice. It amazes him really how sure he was of that. He barely knew her and yet he seemed to know so much about her. Her strength was one that wasn’t hard to see though. She was radiating with it inside out. From when he was treating her wound up to this moment right here, Oliver could easily see that Yassia was no weakling. She was a fighter, and it made him respect and adore her more.

“You, Oliver, are the best thing that ever happened to me in all my life.”

Oliver had not expected to hear those very words from her, but when he did, he was suddenly left speechless. His heart continued to soar and he doubted he’d be able to catch it again after flying so far and so happily above the clouds, maybe even beyond it, to the stars where all this had been written all along. He looked at her, searching her eyes for any hint of mischief or malice, but of course, he knew in the deepest of his heart that he would find nothing but pure and magical affection…passion…love. Was this all really for real? Was this all really happening? “And you are the best thing that ever happened to mine, Yassia,” he told her fervently, wholeheartedly. He almost cursed at the stars for being so cruel right now. What’s the use of finding someone you truly feel passionate about only to have her wrenched away from you in the end? He almost wanted to cry out at the pain and unfairness of it all. Would he forever be consigned to this kind of heartbreak? Falling for someone so hard and then losing them in the end? Will there ever be a happy-ever-after for him at all?

Then Yassia kissed him again. Tender, sweet and yet fierce as if she was pouring out all her feelings for him in that one kiss. He had been lost in self-pity earlier that this had completely taken him into quite a thrilling ride, up and down, round and round. But then she had pulled back a little too soon. Much too soon. “Does that answer your question?” Oliver completely forgot what his question was, but instead saw a chance to continue the ride he had been on earlier. Nobody ever said things had to end so sadly for them. He will take advantage of this moment, make the most out of it, and take with him all the happy wonderful memories that they were making to wherever he would go. “No, not really. Maybe if you could do it again, I just might…” he replied teasingly, his smile heartbreakingly sweet and playful at the same time. And he didn’t even wait for Yassia to respond. He just wound his arms around her again, and pulled her into another long and passionate kiss. Longer than the previous ones. Stronger and passionate like never before.

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

Lip service, really?! Yassia thought she had not come across anyone that she would accuse less of every stooping to lip service. Oliver just not seemed to be that kind at all. He had been thoroughly honest with her, and even though they had just met a few hours ago, it felt like she knew him for a lifetime. So when he told her he thought she was strong, it did not only make her feel wonderfully warm and at home, she also believed him. If this was what he saw in her, then she was more inclined to accept it than if she wanted to convince herself. Yes, he might not know who she really was, but was a title even so important? She was more than just her title, wasn’t she, and Yassia even thought that her journey had brought out more of her true personality, just because it was no longer covered and protected by the golden shield of her ancestry.
“Thank you”, she said softly, reaching to squeeze his hand. “No, really, I mean it. You might not know much of me, but it feels like in this short time you figured me out better than people I’ve known all my life. I will try to believe that everything will be fine.”

With pent up breath Yassia waited for Oliver’s answer. She had moved out on a limb with this impulsive exclamation of her feelings, and she didn’t want to force him to say the same. If anything, she wanted him to be honest with her, even though of course it would pain her to realize he didn’t feel as much for her. But she wanted to know, she needed to know. Even though this would lead nowehere in the end, dreaming of it would be easier if she could be sure he loved her as well. That it had only been fate separating them and none other was to blame. It was easier to blame fate, because in the end you could not change anything, you could also not blame yourself for not doing anything to change it, if it just was not meant to be. You could stay in the world of ‘if only’ without regrets.
His answer was as wonderful as it was sad, but for the moment the joy clearly was prominent. Yassia felt her whole being lighting up with exuberant love as she was content to just look at Oliver, drinking in the love that radiated from him in return.
“Good”, was all she said, but her whole world was contained in this simple word.

She had not expected him to react in such a mischievous way, but then, comparing it to the banter they had had before, it was very well traceable and made a bright smile appear on Yassia’s face. This playfulness had been what had drawn her in in the first place, paired with his unbelievable caring. You seldomly found someone who had both traits so very well developed in one and the same mind and balanced them out so perfectly. Perfect, yes that was the right word to use, Oliver was the perfect man. She was sure in her further life she would always voluntarily or involuntarily compare every man she met to him.
“Well, aren’t you demanding”, she whispered with a smirk just the moment their lips met again and she once again gave in fully to the passion of their unification. She hadn’t thought there could come any more to what they had already experienced, but this was a height of passion unknown to her before.

While she kissed him she had closed her eyes, but suddenly something made her open them again and as she looked up past his head, she saw the flaming trail of a star moving across the clear sky.
Immediately that brought back a treasured memory of her childhood, her father standing with her on the highest tower of the castle, pointing at the same starlit sky.

"The stars guide the path of all people, and they are set in their place forever. But sometimes something can happen to make them wander across the sky to alter a set fate. And if you are fortunate enough to witness this rare occasion, then you are allowed to make a wish for your own fate. Maybe the star hears it and decides to grant your wish… but be careful what you wish for… for one single star leaving its place my change the pattern of a whole dynasty or kingdom. You might never know…"

'I don’t care', Yassia thought as she closed her eyes again and wished with all her might. 'For once in my life I don’t care. No matter the time, no matter the circumstances: Please, let me meet him again.'

[Oliver Strathmore of Mercia]

“You might not know much of me, but it feels like in this short time you figured me out better than people I’ve known all my life. I will try to believe that everything will be fine.”

“I do wish to know more about you, Yassia,” he said more to himself than to her. His voice wistful, already sad and regretful for a future that he could have with her. It was what his heart had been shouting out all this time, what his heart had wanted him to do—to go out on a limb here and just make more happy memories with her. Again, he inwardly cursed himself for making that vow and yet he knew it was wrong to do so. Yassia had made him want to make that vow, and for her, he was going to keep it, even it meant not seeing her again, even if it meant a lifetime of pain for what could have, for what they could both have. If every day with Yassia was going to be like this, then he already felt like he was the biggest fool on earth for letting her go, for not holding on no matter how much he wanted to.

This kiss could rival all other kisses, but Oliver felt that any kiss with Yassia would never be the same, only more intense, more passionate every single time. If their first kiss had been of the getting-to-know-you sort, this one right here held a pledge, a promise of a future, one that seemed far-fetched and yet not entirely impossible. He didn’t know how or what happened but somewhere in the middle of the kiss, Oliver felt like his world had shifted, not into disarray, but on the contrary. It seemed like some floating pieces of a gigantic puzzle were falling into place as if some things had been set in motion in preparation for something coming. What that something was, he didn’t know. All he knew was that he was looking forward to it. What was weird though was he had felt this feeling once before…and what was happening now seemed to be a continuation of that.

With that surprising realization, he pulled back from the kiss and looked at Yassia, committing every curve, every contour, every line to memory. He searched her face, her eyes, and looked as deep and as farther as he could get. And then he closed his eyes to get in touch with his own emotions. Yes, it was the same one just like before. There was no mistaking it. He had been at his lowest of low then, fresh from a heartbreak that was ever so painful he would have cursed the stars to oblivion. But he didn’t. Instead, he wished. He wished with all his heart and mind and soul…that he may never feel the same excruciating pain again. He wished for happiness. He wished for true love, a love for all time. Of course, it had been a spur of the moment thing driven by the heightened emotions of that heartbreak. He may even be delirious then. He could still remember that night, standing in the balcony of his room. He had whispered the words to the wind as he broke down. Then when he lifted his back head up thereafter, his eyes caught the faint movement of light far ahead in the dark night…of a brief but bright flash of light streaking across the sky as if it heard him and answered him back. It gave him the shivers. Of course, he had paid no more heed or thought to that night. He had resolved to move on.

But what does this bode for him and for Yassia?

“If I were to ask you—not that we would do it—but if right now, I would ask to go away with me, spend the rest of your life with me, in that cottage in the middle of nowhere, just you and me…” Oliver asked, his voice more a nervous whisper than anything. “…would you?” He wanted to know if she would risk it. He knew he would if he could.

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

“I do wish to know more about you, Yassia,”
His words engulfed her in a completely peculiar and uneasy feeling. It seemed to be happiness mixed with sadness, in the oddest and sweetest painful mix she had ever experienced. He wanted to know more about her, he was that much interested in her. And yet she could tell him no more, and the tone of his voice also suggested that he thought it futile. There was no future for them, not like this. For Yassia was no nomad, she could never allow herself to fall for a huntsman. This had nothing to do with overdeveloped class conceit, but even if she found military help in Camelot where she sought to find it, returning with a commoner as her future husband would give her uncle the weapon he needed to strike her down: that she was obviously not capable of ruling a kingdom if she could not even find a decent husband for herself, which he himself had done long before: his own son. She did not have time for love in her life right now.

And yet, in this very moment, Yassia was as close to tell him who she really was like never before. Oliver seemed to have that effect on her, she simply could not resist him. It was a dangerous game she was playing, but she was helpless.
”I…”… she started to say and in her head the words made perfect sense. ‘I am a princess, Oliver, and don’t laugh at me, because I have proof. I might seem like a nomad, but I am just a wanderer with a clear destination. Camelot.’ Yes, perfectly logical and honest, but as soon as she opened her mouth, she knew she could not do it. Telling him now who she was would end this wonderful moment they shared right here and there, because he would be too shocked. He would not be able to deal with the fact he had just been kissing a princess, he would seek distance. And she could not bear the thought of distance, not when they were to separate the next morning anyway. And so she finished the sentence in the same sad tone. “…I would like to know more about you too. But I don’t think it would change anything.”

Yassia had no idea if her wishing on a star had had any effect on her fate. The stars did not have to answer to a plea, they were a timeless, ultimate might, and the petty wishes of humans seldomly fazed them. She only could hope for the best. That was another thing her father once had told her: The one doing the wish had no way of knowing if the call had been answered, maybe the ones effected by it would feel some sense of foreboding, but most people were too closed in themselves or to occupied with other things to pay heed to such a sentiment.
Abandoning the thought of it for now, she focused on their passionate and hungry kiss again, seeking to drink in every last bit of this overwhelming feeling. She dared to get bolder, and tentatively brought his upper lip between her teeth, teasingly nibbling on it, before she let go of it again to open up to him more.

What she saw in his eyes when he pulled back was indescribable, it was not even completely to be processed in her head. She could not think about it, just feel it, this longing and exuberant love. And she responded with the same gaze, as if trying to imprint every detail of him on her memory for all time to come. The stars were fickle creatures, maybe when they met again it would be in disguise, in a situation they had not foreseen. But now, after looking at him like that, she was sure she would recognize him in every disguise, under a thousand people.
And then he asked her… asked her the unthinkable. He had made it a ‘what if’ question and they both knew it would never come so far, but the mere possibility made her breath catch in her throat. Wasn’t that exactly what she had dreamed of? When you thought about it like that, the answer was not even that difficult. If only…

”Oh Oliver…”, suddenly she felt a lump rising up in her throat that made it hard to swallow and tears began to burn behind her eyes. Why were the stars so cruel?! “If I only could…”, she whispered and bit her lip hard. “I would… without a second of hesitation. You and me, it would be perfect… but it can’t be…”

[Oliver Strathmore of Mercia]

“…I would like to know more about you too. But I don’t think it would change anything.”

Oliver chuckled good-naturedly at her words. Perhaps that was what made this all so easy. They both know that there can never be any future for them. They were both enjoying the moment as it ought to be enjoyed. They were both living in the here and the now. That was what matters. They may never have the future, but at least they have the present. And it was more important than what could have been. While the thought still brought a pang of sadness to him, Oliver comforted himself in the fact that what they have now is tangible, is real. The future is uncertain, anything could still happen. The bubble that they were currently in was real and true. He'd rather have this than a hazy future. "No, it won't. I want things to stay this way. I will always remember you--us, this way."

Could Yassia really be the stars' answer to his call, his fervent wish? He chuckled inwardly at the thought. He doubted that. Circumstances just weren't right for them now. Even if he told her that he was really a prince, what good would it do? He can never be with a nomad unless he wanted to completely cut himself off from his family. And he also didn't have it in him to bind her to his way of life, the strict and all-too structured life of royalty. He can never clip her nomad wings like that. If you love someone, you must set her free, came that old adage. If Yassia was truly meant for him, she would return, he would see her again, and maybe by then circumstances wouldn't be so cruel anymore. Maybe.

He saw the tears starting to pool in Yassia's eyes when she replied, and Oliver immediately cupped her cheeks and pulled her closer to him, resting his forehead against hers. "Knowing you would come with me...it’s more than enough to last me a long time, maybe even a lifetime," he whispered back before he gave her another soft and gentle kiss. He might not know what the future may bring, but right now, he knew Yassia had brought something special into his life, something that he could take with him and make him brave enough to face whatever it was that the world will throw at him. He felt the same burning behind his own eyes, and he tried his best to laugh it off. Then he took her hand and spoke with heartbreaking sincerity, "I sleep tonight knowing tomorrow will be a better day. Sure, we'll both go on our separate ways and it will tear me to pieces, but I will take strength in the knowledge that you are mine as I am yours...even just for one night." Oliver never really believed in love at first sight, but there was no denying he believed it now.



[ooc:cheese alert! haha!]

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

"No, it won't. I want things to stay this way. I will always remember you--us, this way."
Yes… it was better this way. However much it pained Yassia that Oliver never would get to know her true self, she knew it was less complicated and therefore better if Oliver would always remember her as Yassia, the nomad, nothing else and nothing more. She for herself knew that she would get strength out of the pain she would feel in leaving him. She would take the knowledge out if this encounter that there were good men in this world, men that would help her without looking for personal gain, men she could love. Maybe, if the stars were gracious, she would be able to find someone like him again, a man with a noble heart that was accompanied by a noble title as well. Oh how she wished this would be of no consequence! But a huntsman, however noble he might be in his heart, was not fit to rule a kingdom. He might learn, but time was not her friend. If things were different, this could have worked out eventually, because Yassia was more than ever inclined to overlook status issues now, after she had nearly finished her insightful and revealing journey. But in her fragile state with her life and the fate of her kingdom in constant peril, she could not allow herself any extravagance.

“I will always keep you in my heart like this, Oliver”, she whispered back with a smile. “Chasing cockatrices and fair maidens through the woods, always cheery and audacious. I know there is more to you than just that, don’t think I’ll reduce you to it, but this is the picture that will make me smile.”

Yassia had felt a little embarrassed to let her devastation show so openly, an unease beaten into her by years and years of growing up in a very manners-focused environment. It was peculiar how the Ailanthan people, more often than not cursed with a hot temper and a lust for life, chose to encage their nobility into this tight corslet of manners and proper, settled behavior. Or maybe that was exactly why they did it… to rein themselves in, work against their own nature. Whatever the reason, it had made Yassia very self-conscious about what she let show, always feeling like their were critical eyes upon her, even in a place such as this.
But Oliver didn’t seem to take offense. He was there, was strong when she was weak, just like he had been before with her wound. She could lean on him, and so that was what she did, until she could find her composure again. “Then it must be enough for me, too”, she whispered, blinking back more tears while she felt his soothing presence and the sweet kiss making it all at least a little better.
"I sleep tonight knowing tomorrow will be a better day. Sure, we'll both go on our separate ways and it will tear me to pieces, but I will take strength in the knowledge that you are mine as I am yours...even just for one night."
His sincerity was so heartbreaking and sweet at the same time, Yassia felt like she could not breathe. So that was how it felt to have something end that had not even begun. Would losing something that HAD been in existence even hurt more? Could anything hurt more? And yet there was solace in it too, however impossible it seemed. There was hope for another life.
Yassia did not know what to say, and so she merely sealed their agreement with another kiss. But then she felt the fatigue creeping onto her with undeniable force, and also her wound started to throb again. A moment before she had been able to crowd it all out, but not anymore.

“I think… we should get some sleep now”, she murmured against his chest. “I don’t want this night to end, but I know it has to… and we both need our strength. For tomorrow”Tomorrow… whenever had a word held such pain and dark foreboding? But time could not be hold up forever, it was the course of life to let go.

[Oliver Strathmore of Mercia]

"And you will have a place in mine as well. Forever." A warm and heartfelt smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he listened to her describe him in her own words. Chasing cockatrices and fair maidens indeed, he thought with genuine amusement. "And you, hardly the damsel in distress out to steal every huntsman's heart...I would willingly offer all of me if only I could."

Oliver wondered if he would ever meet anyone like her again. How possible and ultimately cruel was it to be burned twice in love? He never learn his lesson. Or was he ever meant to? He had always believed that there was a purpose to each and every thing. Was Yassia's only purpose for coming into his life was to straighten him out? How easy was that? In a span of a night, Oliver had practically turned himself around just because of her. Could this chance meeting be enough to do just that? Oliver couldn't say so for now. The true test of Yassia's impact in his life was to be proven out there, once he goes back to his life as a prince. Only then would he know if it was all for real or really just a dream, a fleeting moment in time, nothing concrete or lasting.

And it wouldn't take long now. Sleep was crawling into his body and mind, and Oliver could see that it was starting to overtake Yassia, too. The events of the day had been such a whirlwind that it was no surprise it was taking its toll on them so soon. Oliver wanted to stay up for as long as he could, but he knew Yassia needed to rest, needed the strength. He knew he needed it just as much. No, not just for the looming journey back home, but for the inevitable pain of separation that was going to come tomorrow. Tomorrow.

"Sleep tight, my love. I will keep you safe," he whispered softly as he ran his fingers through her hair, soothing her to sleep. He planted one more kiss on her forehead, and wrapped his arms around her as she settled against him. If the world would end tomorrow, if tonight be his last night, then he would die a happy man knowing he had met the right woman for him. Many other women may come and go in his life after tonight, but he knew he would never love anyone else the way he loved Yassia.

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

"And you, hardly the damsel in distress out to steal every huntsman's heart...I would willingly offer all of me if only I could."
Was it possible for a heart being torn apart by mere words? The truth alone she felt in his voice was more than enough to do the trick. Because on one hand, wasn’t that everything a girl could ever wish for, a man who offered her his all to take? And yet she could never have it, and they both knew it. So her heart wanted to soar and to sink deep into despair at the same time, and in the process was in danger of being ripped apart right in the middle. But there was no use in crying over it… that would only taint these last minutes of bliss she knew she would have for a long time. Because the minute his friends were awake, it simply would not be the same.

”Hey, not every huntsman’s heart”, she monished him softly, reaching up to tap the tip of his nose. “Just yours… that’s more than enough for me!”
Her voice was already thick with sleep, and she couldn’t fight off the exhaustion any longer. What had happened inside these few hours was more than enough for more than just one day… a week maybe. Going through so much pain, then bliss and then pain again, it could wear out the toughest heart, even without a nearly life-threatening injury. She needed sleep. Her healer mind slowly won over her begging heart. She wouldn’t be able to savor his presence like this, dead tired and in renewed pain.

Oliver’s soothing voice was the sweetest lullaby she could wish for and so she snuggled closer to him, hoping she would still make him feel at least halfway comfortable himself, and gave him once last smile.
”You sleep tight too… I hope you can. Thanks for every…” but she drifted off into sleep before she could even finish the sentence.

--

Hushed voices woke her from a very deep and refreshing sleep. No fever had risen in the night, and she had felt comfortable and safe, safer than every time she had slept out in the open before. Her eyelids fluttered and then opened to a bright new day. First, she felt a bit desorientated and didn’t quite remember where she was and what had happened – and then it came all back at once and she gasped. The gasp turned into a groan before it even was fully voiced as another thing returned with her sudden memory. Pain.
She felt stiff all over and her left shoulder demanded her attention with an annoying dull throbbing.

With another small groan, Yassia waited for her eyes to focus and then looked up at a very familiar face.
”Good morning… I hope you don’t feel as much pain as I do… if yes, I am sorry.” She wasn’t all there yet, so she feared she might make no sense with her mumbled words. Mornings had never been her thing.

[Oliver Strathmore of Mercia]

“Just yours… that’s more than enough for me!”

Oliver couldn’t help but smile at her words. Even in her sleep-addled condition, Yassia still mustered what strength she had to resist it long enough so she could tell him that. He couldn't help but feel the warm tingling sensation it brought him. She was tired, he could see that, getting weary by the minute. He couldn’t help but wonder what she had been through these past days, traveling all by herself. It must have been grueling enough even for a nomad like her.

When her voice trailed at her next words and moved to snuggle closer to him, Oliver couldn’t help but wrap his around her, pulling her closer to him without unnecessarily disturbing her and her wound. She felt warm and nice against his touch, and he had never felt more comfortable in all his life than he did now. He could stay like this forever.

While he knew that was impossible, he took solace in the fact that he had one perfect day and one perfect night with her. It was more than enough to last him a lifetime.

---

The rays of the early morning sun shining through the leaves on the trees tickled his face and woke Oliver up. His servant lot and all of his friends were already up trying to coax a fire with as little noise as they could. When Sir Sigfried saw that the young prince was up, he handed Oliver a mug of warm coffee they had earlier brewed and heated up. Oliver refused it and made a gestured at the sleeping Yassia. “Later,” he whispered not wanting to wake her up. The knight gave him a knowing smile, and set the mug beside Oliver.

“I take it you’ve had a beautiful night, sire?” joked one of his friends in a hushed tone, which earned laughter from the other.

“I reckon he did,” seconded Lot as he cocked his head towards Yassia.

Oliver shushed him immediately yet softly. “Shut up, you lot. You’ll wake her up. She needed to rest some more.” Then Oliver turned to the beautiful nomad lying slumped there against his chest, and he gently touched her forehead to check her temperature. She wasn’t burning, which was a good sign.

Then her eyelids fluttered, and Oliver took in the lovely sight of her waking up and greeting the morning. She gasped and then she groaned, and Oliver gently rubbed his hand down the length of her arm just as she looked up at him. Then he frowned when she mentioned pain. “Are you in pain? Where?” Ignoring the rest of her words, Oliver knew his voice was laced with panic, and all he could think about was Yassia feeling all uncomfortable and hurt. He reached a hand out to take the steaming mug of coffee Sir Sigfried had offered him earlier, and made a motion to give it to Yassia. “Do you want something to warm your stomach?” This time, Oliver’s face and voice mirrored nothing but concern. While it may be selfish, Oliver would welcome any excuse to keep her here longer, and he tried hard not to think about the impending parting that this day would bring.

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

Slowly the mist was vanishing from her mind, slowly everything fell into place. Everything that had happened yesterday, and the realization that it had not been just a dream.Well, the overwhelming proof of that was not only the throbbing pain in her shoulder, but also how she lay against Oliver, in a very intimate way. How improper! In the light of day, these things all seemed so much more scandalous than they had in the night.In the night, she had been swimming on a tidal wave of overwhelming emotions, the slow realiation that her confusing feelings were reciprocated had been followed by the sheer unimaginable bliss and excitement of their kisses… but that had been yesterday. Today she had to move on, both physically and mentally. And he too. Maybe it was better to start right here and now.
Groaning softly, she pushed herself away from his comfortable chest to sit up properly, avoiding the gazes of the men around them. Of course… they had seen her lying there… what else did they know? The thought alone was enough to make Yassia blush slightly.
But she caught herself enough to reply in a due fashion when Oliver voiced his almost panicky concern. She even managed a mischievous smile, despite the hour. “Where do you guess, silly?” she teased him. “My shoulder of course.And… my limbs are a little stiff, but that’s alright. It’ll pass as soon as I start moving.”
Moving… that brought it back at full force: the realization she had to leave him. That she would probably never see him again. It hurt… it hurt far more than her wound and her stiff muscles ever could, and yet this was a pain she had to endure as well. Without a doubt. It was not her destiny to be Yassia the nomad.

When Oliver asked if she wanted something to drink, the concern in his voice nearly made her heart break for him. Was it possible a man could be so kind and caring? And why did she have to lose him? Why couldn’t he be someone she could consider taking back with her once her plea for help had been accepted? But there was no use in crying over it now. Her mouth felt quite dry, and so she took the hot and steaming mug with a thankful smile. What would it be? Tea? It already smelled like something way stronger, something that didn’t belong here at all. Her suspicion grew stronger the closer the mug came to her nostrils and her lips, but only when she tasted the first sip, her eyes grew wide in understanding.
”That’s… That’s moca! I didn’t even know you have it here in Albion! It tastes quite bitter, but it gives you energy. Too much however can dry you up inside, so you always need to drink water after or along with it.”

She was rambling for no apparent reason, but maybe that was only born out of her surprise. Moca had always been linked to the southern parts of the continent in her eyes, and now Oliver and his friends drank it. It was almost like… having a piece of home with her now, and it suddenly made her eyes sting.

[Oliver Strathmore of Mercia]

When Yassia pushed herself away from him, Oliver felt a strange sense of loss that he had never felt before. He had long delayed his mind from coming to terms with the fact that they were going their separate ways today, but the mere loss of contact somehow made him feel a tad bit depressed, undeniably sad. He had to resist the urge to wrap his arms around her and pull her back close to him again, to lie against him for as long as she possibly could.

Her teasing ought to appease him, tell him that she was indeed all right and that her wound was no longer as much of an inconvenience as it was yesterday. But it had an adverse effect on him, however, as if she had easily brushed off their rather sweet and intimate moment last night, not giving it second thought now that they were under the bright lights of the morning sun, just acting nonchalant about it. What did he expect really? For her to swoon at his mere presence? Oliver already felt that Yassia was unlike any of the other women he had met before. He doubted she would be all over him like most of them would have. Even if she was a nomad, there was something about the way she carried herself that made her stand out for him, made him single her out, and not bundle her in with the so-called pack. She was, in essence, different.

Still, Oliver wouldn't allow that little setback for him to ruin the day. They probably only had a couple more hours left together before they bid their goodbyes, and Oliver wasn't going to destroy that by acting all mopey just because she wasn't gushing all over him. "Yes, I feel a bit stiff as well. We need to stretch these limbs," Oliver said with a chuckle as he slowly pushed himself up against the log and stepped away from her.

When she exclaimed about the beverage, Oliver couldn't help the wide smile that spread across his lips at her fascination. "I think we traded it with some fine game at this village or something. It tastes pretty good," he replied, watching his words as he looked at his servant Lot. The hot beverage was actually a luxury, not being easily available anywhere in Albion. It was pretty expensive, too, since it had to be brought in from overseas. An old friend of his father had brought it to Mercia during a visit, and the king had taken a liking to it that he specially ordered more to be shipped at quite a hefty sum of gold. Oliver should have realized that beforehand. He hoped Yassia would just think him a very wealthy hunter? Fat chance. "Come here, let's get you up and moving...slowly," he added immediately, as he held out his hands to help her up. He hoped to change the topic of the conversation, and veer her thoughts away from the hot and expensive beverage.


[ooc: facepalm on the coffee. forgot there were no coffee yet during that time. should have just said milk. sorry. hahaha!]

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

He agreed with her about stretching sore limbs, but Yassia found she rather would have him not agree. He probably did the right and proper thing in increasing the distance between them even more, but it didn’t feel like the right thing. It felt like the worst thing on earth. How could she be so ensnared by him already, after just one day? She had never believed in such things, simply because they had never happened to her before and she knew they were not supposed to happen to a princess. But now here with Oliver, it was all happening, at the worst time imaginable. Yassia tried to tell herself that it was all good, that their distance now would make the parting easier later, and yet she felt tears burning behind her eyes that shouldn’t be there. Tears of utmost sadness and devastation. But Oliver seemed so strong about this. She needed to be too.
”Well after being my pillow for one night, and you agreeing to be used as such, I think it is only right if I release you of this duty now, so you can become the huntsman you are once again”, she said with a fake blasé voice as if she was passing a royal decree. “And as such, you of course need your lissom limbs, so you can sneak up on your victims, be they cockatrices or innocent maidens.” She was now willingly reusing quotes from their talk from last night, trying to keep at least some of the spirit alive, even though it might not be the wisest decision. But she wanted him to know she had not forgotten, that she would never forget, even if they should never meet again, which was more than likely.

It strill striked Yassia as kind of odd that a beverage such as moca should be so easily accessible in Albion, but then she dismissed it. That made it actually easier for herself. In Ailantha, moca was only known to those who had enough money to buy it, as it was very expensive. Raiders from the East had brought it there ages ago, but it had always stayed a luxury product. In Ailantha, the talk of moca would have revealed her as wealthy and probably noble in the blink of an eye, and she was glad that in Albion the charade actually seemed to hold. She would need to remember that for later,and keep her eyes open for it.
Taking one last sip from the hot liquid and feeling the warmth and energy slowly waking her up, Yassia then put her hand into Oliver’s and slowly tried to get to her feet. It didn’t help her overall shakiness that touching him sent a hot sting and tingling all through her body deep down into some core she only had discovered yesterday, but then she was finally standing, though leaning a little on him for support.

”That wasn’t even that hard!” she said, relief obvious in her voice. It meant she would be on her way again soon, that the injury wouldn’t hinder her as much as she had feared. Then she let her gaze wander over the little clearing, now finding the time to examine it for the first time ever since being shot here. It was quite an amiable surrounding, for the bad reputation this forest had.On the edge of the clearing, there was even a bush of wild white roses in full bloom.
”What do you intend to do with the cockatrice?” she asked, seriously interested.