A Change of Course

[U4ea]

Mordre shook her head at him, then snatched the bottle and took another long draw from it. It burned all the way down and she relished the slight pain that went with it. After the stunt she'd pulled this morning, she deserved it. Nevermind him putting on white, she probably needed to. At the very least, she should find a way to absolve herself of the guilt she felt over stepping far past the line their friendship had existed behind for so long. Of course, he'd kissed her, not the other way around. "You should never open doors if you don't know what's on the other side," her mother had always warned her. Well, she'd not only opened that door, she'd knocked it off its hinges! And if Madoc was here, two bottles of Oosquai in hand and intent on emptying them both before he was through, she doubted if he was of a mind to help her put it back up. The memories of her visions in Rhuidean floated back to her, and her cheeks burned hotly. If he asked, she'd blame it on the Oosquai, but she truly hoped he wouldn't ask. It was probably better to keep him away from that topic a little while longer. At least until they were both drunk enough to forget whatever words floated out of their lips after the asking. 

 

She took a deep breath and looked at him over her shoulder. "Me in particular, what, Madoc?" she asked, cursing her lips for not following her mind's decisions. She didn't hand the bottle back. She wasn't quite drunk enough to let his words slide past her, though she was apparently plenty drunk enough to not avoid the conversation the way she'd hoped. She needed to help him through this decision, though, and she doubted she could stomach the result if he chose to stay with the Thunder Walkers. "Are you afraid of earning toh with me or is there some decision you would put off making about me? I can understand the first, but the second," she rolled her head towards him, still not letting go of the bottle. "The second makes no sense." 

 

~Mordre

[_Kynwric_]

He had meant that to be internal monologue, not something he said out loud, but obviously he’d had more than enough Oosquai to blur where his thoughts ended and his voice began. Either way, it was out there now and he had to say something. “I meant that I care about you in particular, I already owe you toh, for having to point out where my duty lies. And, as it has been put so many ways before, there is no point in fearing the owing oftoh, nor any way to avoid it. It just is; the dishonor comes in not redeeming it.” He reached out for the bottle, but she held it and he let his arm return to wait for her to release it. “There is no decision to make about you; I know where my mind lies; now it is simply for you to decide where yours does, Mordre. “

He eyed the bottle again, wondering if she was going to hold it the rest of the night, and then sighed, “It seems I have toh to the entire hold, there is only one way to repay that kind of obligation.” He shifted so that he was sitting next to Mordre and then lay back to look at the stars, pillowing his head on his arms crossed above his head. Every so often he would steal a glance at her, wondering what she was thinking and also wondering what she’d seen in Rhuidean that made it so impossible for him to choose his own path freely.

[U4ea]

Mordre bit her lip for a moment before she downed another long draw of Oosquai. Her limbs were growing numb and she felt a bit bubbly inside. He was waiting on her to decide where their relationship went? He already knew his mind on the subject? The words tumbled around in her head as he mumbled about toh and laid down next to her. She prayed it was the bubbly feeling inside making the nerves closest to him hum, but she was pretty sure the blame for that lay on his head.  Or, at least on that kiss. Could she do this? Was she just acting on the future she'd seen or did her heart truly lie here? Her head was far too fuzzy for thinking about it and the memory of that kiss made her warmer inside. She took another drink and passed him the bottle, not sure his being as drunk as she seemed to be getting was a good thing. Shouldn't one of them be keeping their heads about them? 

 

She saw his head turn towards her and tilited hers towards him, catching him looking at her. "What do you intend to do about repaying your obligation, Madoc?" she whispered quietly, finding some part of their conversation that didn't lead to her throwing herself at him. Who had taught him to kiss like that, anyway? She shook off that errant question, waiting quietly for the answer to the one she'd actually asked. She couldn't take a spear to whatever name would roll off his lips, anyway. 

 

~Mordre

[_Kynwric_]

Madoc took the bottle back and took a long turn at trying to drain it, and then set it on the ground between them with his hand still curled around it. “What do I intend to do? I suppose I shall have to do what is needed. Tomorrow I will put myself back on the path to Shaen m’Taal and do my best to be a Stone Dog. What else is there?” He turned his head away from looking at the stars to regard Mordre instead, when has she grown curves and turned a girl into a woman? He wondered,  the kiss earlier had been a spur of the moment action but ever since then he’d been thinking about it. It was partly why he had come up here with the Oosaqaui, to see if he could make his brain forget his impertinent action earlier in the day and also to forget his problem. Another important question was, where had she learned to kiss like that? He’d like to ram a spear through the gut of the man who had taught her…

[U4ea]

Mordre cheered her success internally for a brief moment, wishing she hadn't had to go to such lengths to get him to give in. She kept her expression clear of that, though, glad that her eyes were still pinned on the stars overhead. She reached out for the bottle and started when she felt his warm fingers still around the bottle. Her eyes flew to his, surprise lighting her features. The look in his eyes was one she'd never seen there before and she found it hard to breathe for a minute. "Madoc," she whispered, sitting up slowly and leaning towards him. The Oosquai coursing through her veins urged her on and she paused just before her lips touched his. Uncertainty hanging on her. "What are we doing? What is happening today? You said you've made up your mind about me, and I don't even know what that means!" Flashes of that vision in Rhuidean appeared in her thoughts and her breath caught in her throat. Was she part of his decision to change his path? Was that vision coming true, now that he'd changed his future? "I'm confused..."

 

~Mordre

[_Kynwric_]

Madoc felt her hand touch his over the bottle, and then she came closer and closer. He kept his eyes locked on her as she leaned in and whispered to him, He just smiled, he whispered back to her. His voice soft and low, he moved his hand from gripping the bottle to wrapping around hers. “We are laying on top of the roof together, where we have lain many nights before. It is just that now, instead of gazing up at the stars overhead to see where our future lies we’re staring at one another and deciding if we’re where our future lies. I know my mind on it, the only real question left, is where does yours?” She was so very close to him, truthfully, she was closer now than she had been this morning when he’d kissed her and that thought made him think about doing it again; he held back though, for the moment. Madoc wanted her to decide for herself on what she wanted.

[U4ea]

He spoke of futures and she closed her eyes, hoping something would tell her what to do. Nothing came and she opened them again, staring into his eyes. How had she missed how blue his eyes were? She laid a hand on his chest to steady herself and found her fingers exploring the man under her hand. How had they gotten here? Yesterday, he'd just been... Madoc! The infuriating boy next door who insisted on being stubborn every chance he got. Today, however, that boy had run hiding from this man whose lips had haunted her all day. Her gaze dropped to his lips and she realized he wasn't moving. He was letting her make her decision. He didn't fight her, or pull away... was his decision to accept whatever this was between them? Was it part of his decision to change his path? 

 

"Was I..." she started, her voice a husky whisper. Did she really care about this answer to this question? YES! She cleared her throat and tried again. "Was I part of the reason you changed your mind, Madoc?" She doubted his answer was going to change what happened afterwards, but at least she'd have a good grasp of what was going on in that stubborn, prideful head of his.

 

~Mordre

[_Kynwric_]

Madoc felt her hand on his chest, and how her fingers kept slowly creeping over it as if she were discovering that feel for the first time. He finally placed a hand on hers to still it, and to also feel her hand beneath his. This entire episode had come about quickly, over the matter of a little more than a day, but he was suddenly sure of the decisions he had made, regarding his path as a warrior and his path as a man. It was as if a boulder had been lifted from him concerning his father, and he could suddenly run all the farther for it. It reinforced his will on the matter. He heard Mordre begin to speak, his eyes still looking into hers and he knew the question even before she asked. Mordre had always liked to be sure before she made a decision, have everything confirmed she could, and so he’d expected her to ask again. “Of course you were.”

[U4ea]

Mordre nodded, getting the answer she had expected. Something held her back, even still, and she hesitated again. "This day will change everything between us. We can never go back to what we had yesterday. You know that right?" In truth, it was already too late for that. She'd never be able to see those lips without remembering that kiss. And that was the least of the things she'd never be able to do without thinking of him. When had everything changed so drastically and why did she feel like she was late to a fight with no spear?

 

She gave in, barely hearing his answer, if he even gave her one. She moved another inch and her lips touched his again. Her kiss was slower, experimenting and hesitant, ready to draw back in a moment if they were caught. Her ears picked up every sound around them, just waiting for someone to look up and catch them. It wouldn't change anything if they did, she thought, tilting her head and closing her eyes.

 

Like it or not, she was committing to that vision in Rhuidean. Every last second of it...

[_Kynwric_]

Madoc knew that better than most, any day could bring changes that would never allow you to go back again. He’d experienced one the day is father had been killed, yesterday had been another and then there was today, where no matter what happened both his and Mordre’s entire world was changed forever, they were no longer just friends. He gave her a whispered, “I know,” to confirm her thoughts just before her lips touched his. He slid his arms around her and pulled her into the kiss, feeling her apprehension even as she gave into her desire. At this point Madoc didn’t care if they were seen, caught, discovered or whichever version of ‘seen together in a compromising position’ that would be applied, he just wanted to kiss her thoroughly before this evening ended.