Hearts of Enemies (Dusutii and Heavyarms03)

[Heavyarms03]

The camp was oddly silent this time of day. The snow was packed down and they were only a few miles off of the drop off point. He had twenty men with him several fires around the camp held freshly caught game on spits. The men were watching Tyr, their leader, he wasn’t the biggest among the men there, but he was the smartest and strongest man in the tribes. They had an odd respect for him, as he ruled them with fist as was normal with barbarians. The winters were rough. One man walked over to Tyr and sat down beside him handing him a mug of warm, and quickly cooling, ale.

 

“Be think’in tha the others be foolin ya?” the man asked. His lack of basic speaking skills were not uncommon to Tyr, as most of the men and women didn’t even know the meaning of half the words they spoke.

 

Tyr couldn’t help a smile on his face, unlike the others also he kept his face clean shaven, and it made him look younger than his age. Tyr took a drink from his mug and shook his head. “You let me worry about the thinking,” he said. The other nodded and sat there a while.

 

“Th’ others be worrin tha we be no havin raids,” the man looked sideways at Tyr.

 

The leader turned to look at him fully and then wrapped his arm around the man’s shoulder, placing a dagger against that thick hairy neck. “Why raid? When we get this bitch, and a kid inside of her, she is still a princess; we’ll be family of royals. We can then do and go where we please in the flat lands… but that’s not the plan.” The man looked at Tyr as the dagger tapped his neck. “Like I said, best leave me to the thinking.” He moved his arm from the man, the barbarian reached up to grab his throat as Tyr looked at his mug of ale and then to the rest of the camp. The other barbarian fell over and Tyr placed his heavy fur and leather booted feet on the man’s back.

 

“Anyone else have any questions for me?” he called out over the camp. It was silent for a moment and then they started to talk among themselves. Tyr was happy with that.

 

--

 

“Sire, sire,” called a man as he ran over to the king bowed deeply. “The contacts say that the barbarians are on the move, they’ll be at our boarders in two days.” The man looked around. “A horde of twenty of them. That many could take out a town let alone the village they are close to,” the man was shaking and he held up something. “It’s a message from the leader of them, sire.” The man paused again. “They want your daughter in exchange for peace.”

[Lady.Taser]

His victim grunted, the light fading quickly from his eyes and with a wry smile Kyla swiftly extracted his blade from between the ribs of the dying man. Deep crimson blood spilt out of the small incision and dripped rythmically from the tip of his dagger. "You have about... 2 minutes till your heart pumps itself dry." The smile was tiny, just a pull on the corners of his lips as he continued. "Why do you think I was sent?" A rhetorical question really. The dying man knew exactly who he was and that it was his own folly for planning to take the throne but Kyla didn't get much human interaction at the castle so he made a point to torment those he could.

 

The minor lord finally died. Without having said anything in response and with a look of pure disgust Kyla wiped his blade clean on the dress he had been ordered to wear. It was white and already blood stained from the man bleeding out but his father would still admonish him for wasted money. So far he hadn't convinced his father to let him wear normal clothes... or at least not a dress. With a sigh he lifted the skirts and sheathed his blade before looking at the dead fool and then leaving the room.

 

He arrived back at the castle unnoticed and slipped into the main audience chamber just as a messenger arrived for the king. Curious he paused to listen. The barbarians were demanding his sister. The sister who had only just been sent off to another border for marriage to prevent a war there. Even had she still been at the castle Kyla would not believe his father would send her. The king was too conniving to lose his only bargining chip to a barbarian. Grimly he turned away and headed to his chambers, which meant he was going to have another job very shortly.

 

Stripping off the white dress he put it in a corner to burn it later. Putting on a basic tunic and putting his weapons away, he gathered the dress and once more left the castle. Sneaking into a clearing in the woods to destroy the dreas before using the towns bathhouse. Apart from being told of the execution orders from his father he never saw the man and was expected to take care of himself, keeping himself decent in case the king needed him.

 

True to Kyla's expectation here was a message summoning Kyla to the kings chambers when he returned and with a grimace he stalked straight back out his doors and went to see the king. He wasn't allowed to question the king, the times he'd tried he had been beaten within an inch of his life and he stilk bore some of the scars. These days he listened to the order and left, saying nothing. All he needed was the name of the condemed and a place to find them. The king always asked for him to kill them afterall.

 

"Kyla... The barbarians and growing too self confident. They even think they can demand my daughter. Stupid filth." He king glared at the ground breifly before flicking his eyes back to his assassin. "The leader is called Tyr. They won't notice that my "daughter" is in fact a man. Not when you resemble a girl so much. Get rid of the problem."

[Heavyarms03]

Tyr sat on the steed as he looked over the village. His men behind him none moved as they watched the folk look at them from just at the forest line. An elderly man and a middle aged man walked forward towards the barbarians. Tyr shifted in his saddle and the mount moved forward a few yards and turned to the side so Tyr could look at them fully.

 

“You don’t normally give warning when you raid,” the elderly man said, stopping a yard or so away from the large man on the towering beast.

 

“This is not a raid,” Tyr replied to the man. “We are here to await an answer; we will stay in the forest. I cannot promise that this will not be a raid. It all depends on the answer I receive. This is your only warning elder.”

 

“Then why tell us at all?” the younger male asked. Tyr looked at him and he smiled at him.

 

“Because if it turns into a raid, you can blame your king, I tell you because if you desire, you can come under my protection, you have until the answer arrives.”

 

“We’re in the kings lands you cannot hope to-“

 

“You are only four days away from my stronghold, and a week or more away from the palace and their soldiers, who can get here first?” Tyr’s smile had vanished. “At the least the nearest town with a hope of defending you is three days away.”

 

“We will consider your offer,” the elder said and turned back. Tyr watched them leave and then turned back to his men.

 

“We’ll set camp and wait,” he said and they vanished into the forest line.

 

Camp was as it was every other night they were out. The air was cold; winter was just a few weeks away. Tyr was in his tent with a small book and a pen. A tap came to his tent. He got up and looked out.

 

“What if they don’t do what you want?” one of his men asked. Tyr grabbed his fur cloak and walked out.

 

“We give em hell,” he said. “All the way across the lands, you and the others will have all the beer, women and plunder you could hope, the capital is full of it. Let’s leave the blood and gore for later,” he said.

 

“You don’t think he’s going to do you?” the man asked.

 

“Axald,” Tyr warned. The man backed away and Tyr went in to wait.

 

--

 

Some days later Tyr and his men were waiting just outside the forest line. Axald whistled at the line of solders, what was that twelve, and then the carriage between them. The royal crest all over the carriage. Tyr watched, there was an extra horse, mostly because Tyr killed one of the men who asked too many questions. The horse will serve as the princess’s mount on their way back to his holding. Tyr dismounted and grabbed a bundle of furs, he slung them over one shoulder and walked to the group and dropped them at his feet.

[Lady.Taser]

It had been quite a few days travel since the king had seen off the 'Princess'. The whole court knew that it wasn't the real princess, though most assumed it was some girl pulled from poverty with the promise of their family living well if she went. None suscepted that the red-headed, fragile creature that had stepped up into the carriage was in reality the King's son. Kyla and his sister were the only two to inherit the deep red colouring from their mothers side of the family and all of the rest of the king's sons had dark brown or black hair.

 

He figited in the carriage, the silence wasn't new, but he wasn't sure what would be at the end of the journey. He was ordered to kill Tyr, nothing new either however usually his missions were within the king's land and he would always be safe by stating he was the Kings messenger. Here he didn't have that option. If he was found having killed Tyr he would probably be instantly killed. The prospect of what would happen if he were found out seemed similar as well. While his looks may fool the barbarian his body would not if the man decided he wanted to sleep with the princess.

 

The clattering of the wheels slowed to a stop and one of the soldiers came to the door of the carriage. "M'lady. We have arrived at the agreed handover point." He announced with a salute before opening the door wide for Kyla and placing a step just outside the door. Nodding slightly Kyla stepped out of the carriage, being careful to hold himself like a frightened young girl. The dress that he was wearing for this occasion made him seem even smaller than normal and was covered in valuables. Kyla could only assume it was picked to enhance the parts of his face that resembled his sister, and to distract from anything that might seem not right about him.

 

He didn't move from the side of the carriage and instead raised his head to look over at the barbarians who were waiting. They were all large men, much larger than he had been expecting. While he didn't know exactly who was Tyr he had his suspicions as he watched one man throwing about a bundle of furs. None of his blades would do the job cleanly, too much muscle for the slim, short daggers. He knew poisons as well, but he didn't know what proportion he would need for it to be effective and if he was right he didn't have long that he could hide behind the persona of a princess.

 

"Poor girl.... It's like signing her death warrant handing her over to these men."One voice floated forwards to Kyla's ears. "I know what you mean. I hope her family is going to live well after this." A couple of the guards were whispering near the back, Kyla could hear them but hoped the barbarians wouldn't notice.

 

A soldier carrying the banner with the royal crest emblazoned upon it stood forwards and spoke loudly, reading from a scroll he had just unfurled. "I present the Princess Kyla. Our Gracious King presents her as an offering of peace between our two lands and hopes that a strong bond will be built between us over the coming years." Stepping back the guards moved away so that there was a clear path for Kyla to walk down. With a mental roll of his eyes he stepped forward. His father had not only used Kyla's real name but written such a corny line considering he had ordered the man dead.

[Heavyarms03]

Tyr looked at the princess as he motioned with his hand and a second man brought over another bundle of furs. Tyr’s eyes didn’t leave the woman even as the man spoke what was written on the scroll. He then looked around at the others, the men that looked at them, the soldiers. He removed his fur cloak from his shoulders, leaving the thick leather armor-like tunic and heavy woven shirt.

 

“I am Tyr, leader of the barbarian tribes of the Northern Mountains. I welcome you Lady Kyla. The furs are a gift from our lands to your father,” he said politely and correctly to the princess. His eyes looked around, his men started to fan out a little bit on their mounts, all at ease and none actually held any weapons in their hands. Though Tyr had several heavy thick daggers on his belt, he didn’t carry an actual weapon.

 

The thing that was frightening wasn’t the fact that he was towering or thick with strength, but he spoke perfectly, he didn’t have the high country talk or jabbled mess of an unlearned barbarian. This man was smart; it was in his eyes an intelligence that the others didn’t have. He was also clean shaven unlike the other brutes that were around with thick heavy beards. He also took off his fur cloak in ankle deep snow. All things that seemed to make some of the soldiers unsettled.

 

“Come, Kyla,” he said, “It gets colder in the forest.” He held out his fur cloak for her as Axald brought her horse around. The other barbarian held the beast steady and rubbed her forehead and nose. “Tell his highness that peace will be plentiful and our bonds stronger.” His eyes shifted back to the princess before he gave a short nod of his head to the soldiers.

 

Once the princess was close enough to them the others fanned out more, now drawing their weapons and waiting for the soldiers. It took two men to carry the furs that Tyr carried on one shoulder to the carriage. Watching them carefully his eyes kept traveling to his new found woman. The thick heavy fur placed around her shoulders. “Need help mounting?” he asked her.

[Lady.Taser]

Kyla's mind didn't stop working and while he smiled calmly at the barbarians his head a mess. He accepting the fur cloak being placed over his shoulders, though to be honest he wasn't cold with out it. The sheer number of layers of the dress was made from was quite effective in keeping the cold at bay. The soldiers his father had sent didn't want to hang around and once the furs were piled onto the carriage they quickly bowed out of formality before setting off on the road home. They feared that the deception about the princess would be found out and that they would be killed for it.

 

Turning to look at the horse Kyla took a few moments to breathe slowly. This could be a very hard job. Clever, huge and from the feel of Tyr's eyes on him, very interested. There would be little chance on the way back depending on how they set up camp, it may be best to wait until Tyr decided to claim his princess before attempting to kill the man.

 

Hearing the question Kyla automatically went to shake his head but then paused. His wasn't a country known for horses being common. Most of the military were infantry and it would not fit with the image of a fragile young princess if he said he didn't need help. On top of that the horse was tall and while he would manage to mount it would not be an elegant affair. After a short moment he turned to look at Tyr, his head tilted back so that he could look into that man's face. "If you don't mind the help would be most apreciated." He spoke quietly, he had been lucky with his voice not going overly deep during his adolescence though he still needed to speak softly to hide it. "The horse won't throw me off will it?"

[Heavyarms03]

Tyr stood a few steps from the princess and looked to the beast and then back. He took the two paces to close in on Kyla and placed his hands on the waist of the other. He had bent down to hold her. His face almost even with the princess, as he lifted her up without fuss and placed her in the saddle easily. He let his hands linger for a moment, but then took the reins and placed them for Kyla to hold.

 

“She shouldn’t, she’ll be tied to my mare’s saddle, the forest is calm nothing will spook her, besides,” he patted the beast’s neck. “She’s battle trained.” He walked over to his own mount and tied the lead to the saddle before mounting. He turned his own steed towards the forest.

 

“Let us go back to the hearth fire, and for the love of all the goddess’s tits good cooking,” he said and the men laughed and agreed in their own ways of grins and curses to their women.

 

They traveled at an easy pace for the rest of the day, most of the men chatting about how they will finally get good cooking in about four days, though their speech was horrible.

 

When they made camp, Tyr took care of his and Kyla’s mounts as the rest of the group took care of their own. He sent two men out to hunt, and the rest of the men set up camp. Tyr watched as the camp was set, he watched Kyla, and the men. When the fire was going the men hunting brought back their catch, a nice buck was skinned, and gutted out in the forest somewhere. It was cut and then placed on spits to start cooking. The men sat down around the fire and passed mugs of ale and beer around from their pack horses.

 

Tyr held out a mug to Kyla. “Water,” he assured her and sat down on some furs.

 

“yer gonna be likin th’ holdin K’ya,” said a man close to her. “It be big, no, be big tha’ big,” he made a motion with his hands. “Big stone hearth, good women,” the man laughed, and nudged Tyr. “Women be being wet fer us ta be gittin home in em…” the man laughed again.

 

Tyr grinned at the man. “Aye, that they will be.”

 

“I be thinkin this bitch be havin a good cunt between her thighs,” the man said. Tyr pulled a dagger from his belt and looked at the man.

 

“You think like that anymore about this one, and you won’t have a dick to fuck your woman with,” he said shoving the dagger in the fur snow and ground between the man’s legs. “She’s not a whore, she’s a princess, and more so she belongs to me.”

 

The man nodded his head. “I be sorrin miss.”

[Lady.Taser]

True to what Tyr had said the mare was calm and didn't throw him of. Kyla was grateful for the reins being tied to Tyr's mare. He had no reason to run yet and for now it seemed like a good plan to keep some skills hidden. So true to his role he acted as the priincess who had barely been in the saddle before. He travelled in silence, trying to listen to the conversations going on around him the problem was he could make out about 1 word in 4 between the bad grammer and appalling enunciation. When they stopped to make camp Kyla felt in the way and tried to stand off to the side to avoid the men watching them set up, slightly fascinated at the speed in which everything was done.

 

Once the fire was built and the meat was cooking he still stood awkwardly to one side as mugs of alcoholic drinks. Tyr handed him a mug of water and he took it, looking up at Tyr with a small, sweet smile "Thank you." The furs he was guided to were comfy and he started to relax, a dangerous thing really which is why he was glad he was drinking water and not alcohol. Alcohol made tongues loose and reactions dull.

 

Looking over as the man began to speak he smiled again slightly larger than the last one and genuiune. He had started to understand a little more as the day went by and now he was looking directly at the speaker it helped. There was a feeling that he would probably like the Holding, just as the man had said. He had actaully been liking the journey so far and it was a shame he was never going to get the chance to experience the Holding. The first night there would probably be too late.

 

He listened quietly to the rest of the interaction, having trouble acting confused and ever so slightly insulted as the barbarian got himself into trouble with Tyr. In honesty he wanted to laugh, but it was his little secret. As the man apologised he nodded his head and turned to look at the fire, the smile now gone from his face. Had his sister actually been sent she would probably have been crying for home. She really was a fragile girl, but he was hardened by a life of killing and disguise. To him this was a fun trip, if only he didn't need to kill at the end of it. If only it wasn't kill or be killed, either by the Barbarians when they either found out or caught him. Or by his father when he failed.

 

When the meat was served he took only a small amount, he didn't have the appetite for more and he ate his share slowly. It was a new taste for him, meat roasted on an open fire. Some parts were a little burnt but he didn't really mind that much as he chased the particularly burnt parts down with water.

 

He didn't sit around the fire for much longer, despite the cheerful talking going on between the men his mood had been sombred and now he just wanted to sleep. They had been in the carriage early that morning and he was exhausted. Slowly rising to his feet he moved to stand in front of Tyr and kept his eyes lowered as he spoke quietly. "I was hoping to turn in for the night but I am unsure of the sleeping set up in the camp."

[Heavyarms03]

Tyr shifted on the furs as the talk started again and food was passed around. He ate and watched his men as they cheered and smashed mugs together. The men were laughing and having a time of their lives. Tyr noticed that his princess wasn’t smiling any more. He sifted again and leaned over towards her. “The Holding is a huge building with many rooms, but the best is the giant entrance room, with three long tables, and the heath behind the high chair fills nearly the entire wall.”

 

He watched her reactions. He turned towards one of his men as they started to talk again. Though when she asked where she was sleeping Tyr looked behind him and pointed to the tent.

 

He stood, held open the tent flap for her. The men chuckled at them. Tyr waited for her to enter and then he followed. He closed the flap and tied it closed. The tent was thick and it had several heated rocks inside to warm the small area. The large man placed a hand on Kyla’s shoulder and moved closer. Leaning down he pressed his lips against the head of red hair. His hands slid over the smaller shoulders and gripped the arms tighter.

 

“I will assume you can read,” he said moving away from her and picked up his book and pulled out a letter and handed it to Kyla. “It seems the Prince of the southern kingdom is getting married. We’re invited, every leader of ever country and kingdom.” He allowed her to read over it. “The only thing I don’t know is which princess he’s getting married to. Undress.”

 

He told Kyla, his left hand resting on the hilt of his dagger on his belt. “If you don’t willingly, I will force it off of you.”

 

((Sorry this isnt longer))

[Lady.Taser]

Kyla began to panic as the larger man followed him into the tent and tied it shut. There went the only quick method of escape. He expected them to be sleeping in the same tent, but he hadn't realised the Tyr was going to join him now, he had assumed it would be later that the barbarian would come in. His heart started to race in fear as Tyr kissed his head and he felt the hands skimming his shoulders. Was he actually goin to do this now? Kyla hadn't even had a chance to complete his mission and he had no chance of escape.

 

He felt Tyr release him and released his breath, not knowing he'd been holding it until that point. Wait he said something about reading... why? Curiously Kyla took the letter and felt himself pale at the contents and Tyr's words. It quite clearly said in this letter that the Southern Kingdom's prince was marrying the only Princess of Kalnea. The problem was Tyr thought he had the only princess of Kalnea stood in front of him. What was it exactly that Tyr suspected, or more importantly what kind of treachery.

 

He refused to undress and instead let himself fall to the ground in a controlled manner that to the untrained eye would look like he had collapsed. Looking to the ground so that the long hair fell over his face his eyes darted around the tent looking for an escape but finding nothing. Rather than be forced to strip he decided to try and convince the barbarian there hadn't been any treachery. To do so he looked up at Tyr and began to talk, his eyes watery and voice quiet and shaky.

 

"T-The princess... that the southern kingdom prince is marrying... is my twin. In Kalnea twins are an unlucky omen and when born are killed to prevent the misfortune they bring. Having only sons when we were born he didn't want to not have a daughter just because of the superstition. So he took me and kept me in hiding, not allowing me to be seen by anyone or even meet my sister as i grew up. The midwife who delivered us died not long after and my mother was just happy her babies weren't killed...." He wrapped his arms around his body and clutched desperately at his clothes and hoped Tyr wouldn't undress him.

[Heavyarms03]

Tyr watched as Kyla dropped to the ground. He stood where he had been. He watched her as she looked up at him with watery eyes and started her story. He dropped the book on some furs and he rubbed the palms of his hands. He hadn’t moved to undress himself, not yet, not even his boots for a just in case. He nodded as he listened to her from time to time.

 

“So, he gives me a body that has no claim to the throne,” he said glaring at the person on the floor, anger showing in his face and muscles. “A worthless whore,” he stepped up to just in front of Kyla and crouched down, he took her jaw roughly in his hand and held her steady for a long moment looking into her eyes, He then reached the fabric of the dress on the back. He pulled on the fabric his face close to Kyla’s as the sound of ripping fabric echoed in his ears.

 

“I told you to undress or I would do it for you,” he whispered to Kyla. “Do you want to ride three more days in a ripped dress, or do you feel like taking it off now?” he was calm, his large hands holding her close to him. “You can still make the most of what happened. Maybe I won’t kill you, maybe I will use you, until you’re bloody, bruised and broken, and then send you back to your father with a thousand men, tear the city apart, hmm?” He pulled on the fabric a little more hearing that sound.

[Lady.Taser]

Kyla gritted his teeth at the insult, apprently the man had simply decided he was going to do this with his men waiting just outside the tent rather than in the building they called the holding. Playing the frail little girl had failed and while he wasn't particularly keen on this dress removing it would mean exposing his gender, which Tyr seemed to have not noticed yet. Steeling his eyes Kyla's whole demenour changed and he set his jaw in determination. Pulling himself away from the larger man he started to unlace the dress from the back. It didn't slip off his front as the material was quite rigid and so when he pulled his arms out a faint glimse of black going over his shoulder was exposed. He was also able to get one hand to the knife sheathed on his thigh, slowly sliding it out as he spoke in a voice more natural for him.

 

"Wrong. He hasn't even sent you a worthless whore with no claim to the throne." Pausing a smile tugged at the corners of his lips, a rather insane response given his current situation, however he had never claimed to be sane. His next few words dripped in irony "The rest of my oh so devastaing sob story is this. I was trained from a young age to kill. Why? because the King decide an assassin related to him by blood was a brilliant idea." There was no hiding the venom in Kyla's voice as he spoke of his father. "Some one who will do as he's told and has no where else to go because he has no identity. He would send me off on missions dressed as a fucking whore just to teach the dissenters a lesson." The knife was now tapping lightly against Kyla's own cheek as he spoke. "He even made me grow my hair long so if anyone saw me they would assume I was my sister." Now he moved used he second hand to pull the dress off completely tossing the worthless cloth to the floor and showing his skin hugging black trousers and top which quite obviously showed his lack of breasts.

 

"And the absolute best bit is if I go back having failed in whatever he has told me to do. He will personally run a blade through my heart. After all my mother is no longer alive to stop him." Kyla was now half taunting the barbarian stood in front of him and still grinning as though he had just been given the best news ever. This was afterall the longest interaction he had ever had with someone.

 

"Such a shame you know. Today has actually been fun, but i don't really fancy being killed by either you or my father. Not what I expected when he sent me off to kill the barbarian leader... Not that there has been a chance." He still didn't have an escape route but the knife was now in his hand, and the tent was only material.

[Heavyarms03]

Tyr moved back to stand when Kyla started to remove the dress himself. The barbarian listened silently, the change, the speech, the dagger and the flat chest. His brow lifted at the boy, but otherwise remained quiet as he spoke. Tyr didnt panic, he didn’t rush towards the boy, hell he left his arms loose beside him, his hands not even twitching for one of the daggers on his belt.

 

After all said in done, Tyr let out a breath. Tyr shifted and kicked open a trunk and took out a bottle of something, rum or whisky, something stronger than what they were drinking outside. He took the cap off and took a long drink from it. He closed it and tossed it back into the trunk. He stepped closer to Kyla. His hand he brought up and ran along the others arm, down his side to the small of Kyla’s back and pulled him a little closer.

 

“Good,” he whispered close to the other’s face. “I don’t have a need for a worthless whore. But you on the other hand,” he watched him. “Come with me to my holding. Leave your father behind you, when we march in winter, I can even allow you to take his head if you want. You’ll be safe with me, and I will not ask you to kill anyone, unless you like it,” his voice was soft as he spoke and pulled the other closer to him. “Or you can try and stab me with that dagger, however, if you fail you wont like what happens to you. Kill you, no,” he gave the other a smirk. His hand traveled lower to the others ass and pressed firmly.

 

“Truth, I have never been fond of the female form… too soft,” he whispered to the other’s ear.

[Lady.Taser]

Kyla stood, his body tense as he waited for Tyr to do something. Anything so that he had an idea of what was going to happen. The smile didn't drop from his lips, currently it was the only thing keeping him from slashing the side of the tent and making a run for it, though his lips did twitch as the trunk was kicked open. This seemed to be good so far and then Tyr moved closer again, but his body language didn't seem threatening, he hadn't even reacted in any way that Kyla could have predicted. The hand on his body made him shiver in surprise his expression changing as the Tyr pulled him closer. Silently he held his breath and listened, trying to keep his face impassive, though his smile was what betrayed him.

 

The chance to kill his father? now that would be nice. Except he wouldn't just kill the king, he would torture him first. The smile failed to fade away this time and his body began to untense. He knew what the larger man was implying and while he didn't particularly fancy that outcome it was much preferable to death. Putting up no resistance at this point the warm breath on his ear prompted him into action. Bring the armed hand up to Tyrs neck he brandished the dagger giving a short bark of laughter.

 

"Why do you think I have yet to find a chance. I have been doing this for 10 years now. I know Nothing else, however what didn't happen was the warning that the man I was meant to kill would be quite so... large. It makes getting a tiny blade like this anywhere vital very hard." Not yet fighting his way out of the barbarians arms he reached his empty hand round to his head gathering up his long hair in a first and cutting roughly at the strands. The majority of his red hair fell to the ground followed shortly by the knife. "So I have no qualms about working with you, or killing for you provided I don't need to act as a whore ever again." Now using both hands he pressed them hard against Tyr's chest and found out he was predictably considerably weaker than the larger man as he tried to get away.

[Heavyarms03]

The barbarian watched him, felt his body relax at his touch. The larger man watched as he spoke, there were a couple of places that the knife could go, and could have proved fatal. Then Tyr wouldn’t have allowed him to get to those places. Tyr watched the strands of hair fall to the ground and then back to Kyla. He shifted his hands on the male slightly. “You will no longer act or be a whore,” he whispered to him. “You have my promise that none of my men will touch you in that way and I will never ask you to act or be one.”

 

He felt the slight push on his chest, he looked down at the hands and then back to Kyla’s eyes. He pulled him in closer. He was quick, lips covered Kyla’s easily in a lazy, but dominating kiss. One of Tyr’s hands slid up the other’s back and his fingers tangled in the cut off red hair. He moved the boy back, removing his legs from under him, but the grip he had on the small of his back and his head Kyla was lowered in a controlled manner.

 

“You are not a whore,” he whispered against the others lips. Tyr’s weight was being held up by his knees and elbows. Tyr smiled at him and stood up. He took off the thick leather tunic and fur coverings. He was in fact a large man, and his muscles were like iron rippling through his body. He even took off his belt and pants, leaving the cotton under cloth and little to the imagination. The man was aroused or getting there, average for a man of his size. He sat down next to Kyla and pulled the furs around them. “The night will be cold, and the rocks will only stay so warm.” He said against the other’s skin, he wrapped his arm around the boy and pulled him close to his body. “We’ll be at the holding in three days, there I can get you different clothing.” He breathed out, using his arm as a pillow.

[Lady.Taser]

Kyla was surprised at the barbarian. In a matter of minutes the man had changed from brutal and threateningly angry to seductivley kind. This was a clever barbarian, he could clearly remember his father calling the man stupid. Though it had taken him a while to notice that Kyla was a man. More due to the clever design of the dress though. Raising an eyebrow he caught that the promise only extended to the men not touching him in that way and did not include Tyr himself. before the kiss claimed his mouth he muttered under his breath. "They would likely be dead if they did, the whole lot have many more openings for an assassin to exploit than you."

 

When the kiss caught him unawares he tried to push harder on Tyr's chest to pull away and instead found himself being lowered to the ground. He still wasn't particularly keen on having anyone touch him in that way. None of the men he had killed previously had got close. He froze as the whisper came against his lips, was Tyr planning on continuing despite his reluctance. Or was it assumed as a part of working with the man. As Tyr stood and removed his clothes Kyla watched unable to tear his eyes from the barbarian, even more so when the pants came off. Kyla's eyes widened slightly and something akin to fear flared deep in the recesses of his brain. It kept him still and unsure of what to do. While he could kill the others happily, he couldn't kill this man. He was too guarded and the only thing stopping Kyla from dying now that the deception had been found out.

 

"Do you plan to have me share your bed for the whole 3 days then?" Kyla whispered sharply, not comfortable with the position, yet not strong enough to break free, shifting a man of such bulk took more muscles than he'd ever needed to develop in Kalnea where the men wear almost as delicate as the women. "Also do you plan to keep it at simply sleeping or do you expect more?" He couldn't argue the warmth of the furs or the man's body heat, however the proximety to the aroused man unnerved him.

[Heavyarms03]

A chuckle was what Tyr replied with at first. His arm tightened around the other’s waist and he placed a kiss on the boy’s neck. “Just three days?” Tyr whispered pulling the furs closer around them. His fingers running along the other’s stomach gently. “You will share my room, my bed at the holding,” he breathed out. “It is just sleep for now,” he answered the boy. He gave him another kiss on the neck and shifted his head away and closed his eyes.

 

Tyr was sleeping within minutes. The barbarian held him, and hadn’t been willing to let him move too much during the night.

 

When Tyr woke up in the morning he looked to the boy in his arms, and listened to the sound of the men taking down the camp for a faster ride away. He shifted his body and the cold hit him very quickly. He got out of the furs and started to dress. He ran his hands through his hair and untied the tent as he walked out. The men were packing the horses and most of the things were away already.

 

“Mornin Tyr,” said one man. Tyr nodded his head as another handed him a mug of something hot. It was thick and gritty, coffee, or travel coffee rather. Tyr made a face but drank it anyway. “Yer little bitch be gittin up soon?”

 

“Yes,” Tyr replied. “Then we move.”

[Lady.Taser]

Gritting his teeth Kyla didn't know what to say in response. At least he had a little time to think of a way out of the man's bed, the kisses had sent shivers down his back and he tried to curl up on himself as he waited for Tyr to sleep. When he heard the regular, deep breathing that indicated sleep he tried to wiggle out of the barbarians arms only to find himself well and truly trapped.

 

He almost screamed in annoyance, not only was he trapped, he was trapped by a man who knew who he was and still had plans for his body. It was considerably later that he actually fell asleep unused to having body warmth near him as he slept, the majority of the men outside had made their own way to sleep by the time he finally slept, the only men still up being those of the night watch.

 

Morning came all to fast and he woke up to find himself alone in the furs, a sigh of relief left him when he realised. He didn't move but listened to the noises from around him, he needed to get up soon so they could go. Had Tyr told the men that the princess was in fact a man? Kyla didn't know but he didn't plan to keep up the pretense and so he rose heading over to the dress crumpled on the ground and pulling the lining away from the main material. He had small weapons and poisons hidden in the lining of the dress, one or two more daggers which he strapped to his body. Once he had picked up the dagger that had fallen with his hair the night before and re-sheathed that he now had one on either thigh and a dagger on his left arm as well. Cutting a section from the dress he tied it around his waist forming a crude belt which he was able to attach his small bags of poisons to.

 

With a quick scan of the tent floor his lips curled in a cruel smile and he gathered up the cut off hair and sliced another part of the dress off. Opening the tent flap he walked out, ignoring the looks from the men who were more than a little confused. They were trying to figure out who he was, but even the most uneducated of men knew only two had gone into that tent the night before, which means he had to be the princess. Moving over to a tree he leaned against it so that all of what remained of the camp was in sight, while he waited for the camp to finish being packed away he bundled the hair into the material he had cut off the dress and closed it up. That would make a lovely little present for his father.

 

It didn't take long for the men to finish clearing the camp and Kyla moved quickly across the clearing to where the horse he had ridden the day before was, pulling himself up into the saddle with little effort and no help. Sitting atop the horse he shivered a bit from the cold and waited for the order to leave to be given.

[Heavyarms03]

The barbarian leader looked towards his tent when Kyla walked out, he laughed at the looks of his men’s faces as they looked to him and then back towards Tyr. They did this a couple of times, but didn’t question. Tyr will have to explain everything once they were back at the holding. He watched as his tent was taken apart in minutes and the rest of the gear packed.

 

He walked over to Kyla on the mare he rode yesterday; he tossed up his fur mantel. Then handed him a canteen and a bag, “keep the canteen close to your body and under the fur, else it will freeze, travel jerky in the bag for you to eat while we travel. We won’t be stopping for lunch. I also will not tie her reins to mine, but stay close.” He patted his leg and moved over towards his mount. He mounted and turned his mare towards their path. He waited for the rest of the men to mount.

 

“Let’s head home,” Tyr said and started on the way again.

 

The farther north they headed the higher they went into the mountains and the colder it became. The chill was teeth chattering already and they were only almost halfway to the holding where Tyr stayed. The men were still having a good time, they laughed and talked and joked and teased throughout the day. Tyr didn’t really have to keep them in line they seemed to know if they crossed him they wouldn’t be returning home. But the trip wasn’t all that peaceful. One of the men said something to Tyr in a whisper and without thinking the barbarian leader back-handed the man off his horse into the snow. Tyr didn’t slow down for him or wait for the man to mount. It wasn’t as if Tyr was traveling quickly but just the idea of him not waiting.

 

The others didn’t pay any attention to it and laughed when the man caught back up. They seemed to understand also that Tyr was their leader and they followed his word easily, even if they were halfwits, or less than that.

 

One rode up beside Kyla; Tyr took notice but didn’t do or say anything right away.

 

“So ya ta bein what?” the man asked. “What be yer re’son yer he’r?”

[Lady.Taser]

Grabbing the fur as it was thrown up Kyla wrapped it around himself. It held the cold at bay significantly better than the thin clothes he had on underneath. He accepted the bag and canteen with a nod, sliding the canteen into his makeshift belt so that it was against his body. Tyr was a strange leader, completely different to the king and the men of Kalnea. There you would need to give each individual order and you could rely on them doing nothing unles ordered, or to save their own skins.

 

The men acted without Tyr's word, seemingly knowing what he wanted. A few words to get the group moving but giving them the freedom to do as they liked. Kyla was sure a few of the conversations and sniggering going on were to do with the fact the princess was now a man though he didn't catch enough of the conversations to confirm it. The air was getting colder by the mile and Kyla had started to eat some of the food periodically to keep his energy up and keep warm.

 

He didn't pay much attention to what the men were doing and even one of them landing in the snow only raised an eyebrow. He was curious what the man had said to cause Tyr to hit him though. AS he was about to one of the men came closer to him and spoke. For a few moments Kyla looked coldly at the man repeating the words in his brain slower and trying to understand the uneducated drawl. With both his hands holding the reins under the furs he was easily able to move one hand to the knife on his left leg and release it. He felt more comfortable talking to these men when he had a weapon handy.

 

"If I have understood you correctly, you are trying to ask me What I am and Why I am here." He took the blade out of the furs and balanced it with the tip of the blade pointing to the sky on two fingers. Rather than watching the man he was talking to he watched the blade making sure the gait of the horse didn't knock his balance off and cause the dagger to fall.

 

"By asking what I am you are probably refering to am I a man or woman." with a smile he twisted his hand and caught the handle of the dagger. "Answer. I am a man, an assassin to be more precise. No worries though your leader is safe, much too guarded for an assassin to be able to do any damage, more so than any of you thats for sure. As for why I'm here.... lets just say a certain king will be getting some painful revenge exacted against him one day."

 

With a cold smile to the man Kyla urged his horse fowards so that he was riding directly next to Tyr. After a few moments he spoke with some amusment in his voice. "These men of yours. How do you keep them in line? Also I am curious, what did he saw to warrant being dumped into the snow like that?"

[Heavyarms03]

Tyr watched the exchange from the corner of his eye but didn’t get in the way of the boy and his man.

 

The barbarian looked to Kyla and got a confused look on his face. “Tyr be understandin, ya be go’d wit’ us,” he said and scratched his head and beard. He moved his horse away and started to talk to two others.

 

Tyr looked over towards Kyla as he rode up beside him. His lips twitched into a smile as he listened to the questions. He took a bit of jerky and plopped it into his mouth. “I am stronger and smarter, and if any man questions me, there is sometimes a challenge, most times they don’t last the encounter,” he said to the boy and looked back ahead of him. “This is a ruthless world, to get where I was I killed, a lot, a lot of good men died.” He shook his head.

 

He was silent for a bit and then looked at Kyla. “As you know, you not being a princess got him a little angry, it changes my plans slightly. But he said something about taking you and going around the barracks. I didn’t take to kindly to that. You belong to me, and only me,” he said. He shrugged a shoulder. He looked towards the sun. He looked over his shoulder and waved two men up.

 

“Start hunting,” he said. They nodded and turned their horses around and headed into the forest. “We’ll camp for the night soon,” he said. His horse shook her head and looked up. He leaned over and patted her neck.

 

“Getting along with everyone?” he asked looking towards the man that he had been talking to. “You took your dagger out on him, was he bothering you that much?” then he looked to the sky again as it started to snow. He frowned.

 

“Tyr, snow,” one of the men said as he came up on the other side of him.

 

“Yes I can see that, we’re taking a detour,” he answered and kicked his horse into a faster walk, she went easily enough.

[Lady.Taser]

Kyla listened, he didn't need to be told the world was ruthless, that was something he learnt young, and his 25 years of living had only reinforced it. He had also killed a lot of good men, not that it had got him anywhere but under the king's boot. The only difference was Tyr seemed to regret, or at least remember those he had killed, Kyla had no such inclination, a man was forgotten once his blood ran cold and heart stilled. Good men they may have been, nonetheless all of them were also stupid.

 

"Not sure I take kindly to being a belonging... Though considering I don't have the strength to fight you I guess I'll have to accept it. At the very least it is preferable to being a pet assassin." Sheathing his knife as Tyr sent men off to hunt he watching the sky and saw the first few frozen flakes falling. He had seen snow, never this early in the season though and it felt as though he was in a different world. Once all the horses were walking faster he turned to Tyr and finally answered the question.

 

"Bothered? No, he didn't really bother me. Any one of you could probably crush me in terms of strength, so all i have is my speed and to be prepared." An insane smile claimed his lips. "Where as some people use lucky charms I use daggers. Also would he really believe I was an assassin if i simply told him? Last they knew I was a girl." Kyla chucked lightly under his breath, he had been told he was insane by quite a few men, and for most it had been the last words they ever uttered.

 

"Why do we need to take a detour? The snow isn't all that heavy." Kyla was finding himself looking forward to when they camped. While he could ride quite well, he had never needed to for a length of time before and was finding that his arse was going numb from the hard saddle. With the snow he couldn't tell what time of the day it was though he assumed it must be getting late after all sometime had passed since the men had been sent off hunting and Kyla wouldn't have been surprised to find them returning soon.

[Heavyarms03]

“You belong to me for the purpose of my men, if you did not, or do not belong to someone, then you are considered free game, and I do not want you as free game. Thus, you belong to me,” he informed him on the belonging part. “Because you belong to me, you will also have more freedom in the holding and a bit more say than free game and if you belonged to anyone else.”

 

He nodded as he heard that he wasn’t bothered. They slowed down when the trees became thicker and then finally opened up into a small area. There were cut out holes in the rock face also the trees were cut around the openings. He stopped and his men got to work at making the camp. He dismounted and took the mare to a tree. This camp was being set up differently, the tent tarps were being placed against the trees and the rock caves, and above them, it seemed trees were growing sideways just for putting up a roof of sorts.

 

“Make sure it’s tight,” he reminded as he went to help. The two hunters came back with double the game as they entered the area. They had cleaned the game of the insides but this time left the furs. They started to tent to the horses and two others went to get wood and rocks from inside the cave. The camp went up quickly and the horses were taken care of and the fire and food was started. There was a hole in the roof where the smoke could escape. Furs went up around the tent tarps to help keep warmth in.

 

Tyr looked around and looked to Kyla. “We don’t play around with the first snow, most of the time it’s a blizzard,” he informed the boy. There is a possibility that we will stay here all day tomorrow. Go sit by the fire and get warm if you want. That cave is ours,” he said and pointed to the far left cut out rock face. “Water or ale?” he asked as he moved and sat down at the fire. His men had already started to drink, but they weren’t as cheerful as the night before. Most likely due to the weather.

 

“Tyr, th’ snow be brin’ a bad omen,” said one.

“We’ve slept out in blizzards before, are you scared of it now?”

“Na, ju’t be worrin ov’r th’ snow.”

Tyr shook his head as he took a mug of ale and took a sip from it.

[Lady.Taser]

Kyla watched in fascination as the men expertly set up their camp as an effective barrier against any winds and show that could fall on them. They may have been barbarian half-wits but they were good at what they knew. Making sure to keep out of the way he stayed with the horse's, his hand against one's forehead as he watched the large men work. When all was said and done he nodded, interested in seeing a blizzard but not feeling its effects first hand so he moved over to the fire.

 

"Water please." He heard a couple of the men laughing, but he didn't really care they might expect him to drink the ale now they knew he was a man, but not yet comfortable he didn't want to be intoxicated. Taking a seat next to Tyr he watched the fire. Everything was different tonight and while the others had lowered spirits compared to the night before, Kyla's were soaring as he considered the changes from the last day. The only thing he could disagree with was belonging to the man he now sat next to.

 

Taking a few sips from his drink he watched the meat cook, impressed at the barbarians ability to catch food regularly, even their hunters didn't come back from every hunt with meat. Leaning closer to the leader he spoke quietly. "Last night you said about marching in Winter. A harsh season to mount an attack in I would have thought. It also seems the season has already started in your lands. Does this mean you plan to march almost as soon as returning or do you mean next year? As I have a little present that needs to be delivered back to the king before the attack is started."

[Heavyarms03]

Tyr handed him his water, he looked to his men as they laughed and shook his head but didn’t do anything to stop them from laughing. Their spirits were down because of the weather, and once they reached the holding a feast will be their welcome, and women for them. Tyr sat facing the fire and then chuckled at the male next to him.

 

“Winter is a harsh time to move, but we’re use to the cold as the Kalneans are not,” he reminded. “And this is not winter, we will march this winter, your father has made me force my hand and I will not be mocked,” he said to the boy as he took a long drink of his ale. “When we get to the holding I will send a falcon, or do you need a messenger?” he asked Kyla. He shifted a bit and pulled him closer. They could hear the wind picking up outside the tent walls.

 

The men looked around at the flaps and several went to make sure they were tied and nailed down tightly. “I taught them to build this shelter,” Tyr said as he watched them. One man stood up with a large knife and started cutting into the deer, their fur was already placed against the tent walls to try and keep the heat in. “They knew about the furs on the tent tarps and the heated rocks. Good people, strong and willing to follow a strong leader, not the smartest, but they know how to survive in harsh climates.”

 

“Kalnea’s winter is not like the winter here in the mountains, my men, my horses will have no problems, its Kalnea’s men that will have problems in winter. More so when we capture the supply routes of their meats, and oils and furs, those things come from here in the north. Your horses aren’t bred for winter combat. Winter gives us the better chance of winning. It wont be for a couple of months yet, but, we’ll march.”