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Post by Max452 on Mar 21, 2012 0:23:08 GMT -5
Marek followed Karliah as they zipped and dogded through the city, avoiding the soldiers that wanted to separate his lover from him forever. That thought aggravated him. They were not taking her away! He manuevered with ease, grateful for his own agility and the power that Malve lent him as well. He obediantly hopped onto the back of the stallion that Kari procurred. "My, someone's been busy since we've been apart." He accused her playfully as he took out his daggar and cut the harnesses of the horse, freeing it and them. "What did you take this time?" He asked her, eyeing the massive wave of men coming at them. "A mansion?" He joked, gripping her waist so he wouldn't fall off the horse.
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Post by Tismri on Mar 21, 2012 0:44:10 GMT -5
"Hyah!" Karliah spurred the horse forward as soon as Marek cut it loose. The beast took off at a gallop, speeding through the countryside. She kept it going at a reckless pace, knowing the soldiers were going to be mounting up and tracking her before too long.
She smiled slightly at Marek's question. "Oh, just a little of this and a little of that," she told him. "I have to earn my living somehow, you know. The bounty just sort of builds up after a while. It's usually not hard to connect a certain thief with a crime, but the smart ones get out long before the owner even realizes something is missing." She made a face to herself as a thought crossed her mind. "It was probably that job back in Feinster that pushed it to this length. It was a little sloppy of me." She admitted it rather sheepishly.
She continued riding for some time before she turned the horse into a nearby grove of woods. There was a fairly large stream within, and she dismounted in the middle of it, the cold water rushing by her legs.
"Let's wade upstream a bit," she told Marek as she patted the tired horse. The animal dipped its head to the water and quaffed down mouthfuls. "Then we'll find a good tree to climb until we dry off and can continue on foot. We should be near Melian by now." She spoke from experience, having had years of practice throwing off trackers from her trail.
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Post by Max452 on Mar 21, 2012 23:08:36 GMT -5
"Feinstar? What could you possibly take that caused this?" He asked her, watching the soldiers dwindle away as he gazed over his shoulder. It was some time when they finally reached stream. He hopped off right after her and followed her, a bit curious on how she so easily did this. Of course, he had his own run ins with the law, but they seemed half-rate compared to the ones Kari seemed to manage. Karliah then proceeded to wade into the water. Marek absently wondered if Malve would appreciate getting wet, not knowinf if the armour would rust or not. Shrugging, Marek followed Karliah, determined to follow her to the ends of the world. "How can you tell?" He asked her, referring to their position near Melian, and quite impressed with her. He waded a bit faster so that he was next to her, the water feeling cool against his lower body. "Um, I know that this may not be the best time to bring it up, but are you planning to come home with me?" He asked her, his eyes humored. "Mother's been annoyed that you let the wedding dress gather as much dust as it has." He implied that he still wished to marry her.
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Post by Tismri on Mar 21, 2012 23:34:41 GMT -5
Karliah had chuckled a bit when he asked what she had taken that had set the guards off. The dragon statue she had stolen had belonged to Feinster's governor, and was one of his most prized possessions. It was among the most well-guarded objects and was a challenge to take. Unfortunately, the night she had heisted it, a guard had seen her enter, disguised as a visiting dignitary. She'd had them fooled at first--proof that that time of studying manners at the Robinson estate hadn't been for naught. After she'd taken it and left, the guard recognized her from a wanted poster, and they were immediately on her trail.
As she walked up the stream, she responded to Marek's question as to their location. "I've been here a couple of times before," she told him. "It's a convienent place to lose unwanted followers, and the city has one of the most quickly accessible hideouts for thieves." It was a little odd talking about it so freely with Marek. In the months she had lived with him, she had rarely spoken of the true extent of her thieving experience.
She hesitated to respond when he brought up going home with him. She'd wondered when he was going to bring it up. To bide time to put her thoughts together, she gestured at a tree.
"That one. Grab the branch and pull yourself up. Make sure you don't step in the mud, or you'll leave significant footprints." She jumped up and took ahold of the low-handing branch, swinging herself onto it with practiced ease. Then she sat on it, letting the water drip from her legs back into the stream and begin to dry off her legs.
"About getting married..." she started, staring into the rushing water below. "Are you sure you still want to? I mean, I'm no noble, and I never will be. I'd practiced a bit before...well, before I ran off, but I realized I couldn't do it." She stopped speaking again for a moment, wondering if he was understanding her. "So, if you married me, your noblity would be tainted. You might lose your station, or even the estate. Do you...are you sure you're willing to risk that?"
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Post by Max452 on Mar 22, 2012 0:13:32 GMT -5
Marek did his best to not be annoyed with Kari when she ignored his question. He obediantly followed her advice and easily grapped a hold of the branch, not leaving obvious marks beneath him. He pulled himself with ease, having practiced this many times when he would case out an opportunity to relieve some not so innocent nobles on the highways. He flipped himself upward and into the tree. He sat onto the branch, leaning against the sturdy tree trunk as he waited for Kari to answer his question. He refrained from calling her an idiot again when she asked if he was sure that he wanted to marry her. Instead, he let out an exasperated sigh. "I thought I made that perfectly clear last night; or do I have to show you again?" He asked, his eyebrow arched in a sly manner, but he was still a bit irritated at her implications. "Kari. I am fully aware of the repercussions that will come when I marry you." He stressed the fact that marriage was inevitable for the two of them. "I don't care for that, don't mistake me though, I do care what will happen to my Mother when we are wed, but, you know what she said to me? She said that 'We do live in two different worlds. But, that does not mean, that two worlds cannot collide.' We can make it work Kari. I know it. Maybe we can change the views of those nobles that we've destested for so long. We can make a difference, Kari!" His voice grew excited at the prospect. "Mother understands it, and...and I think she's ready to accept whatever happens, but if not, well, I'm not too opposed with just getting her blessing on our marriage and running off together." He stared at her, wondering what she was thinking.
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Post by Tismri on Mar 22, 2012 0:42:32 GMT -5
Karliah listened quietly as Marek explained how he knew what would happen if they got married. She didn't miss how he stressed his point that there was no option when it came to the matter, and she couldn't help but smile at his determination. She nearly fell off the tree in shock when he told her what his mother had said. She would never have expected that woman to understand or approve of them. She wasn't so sure of Marek's insistence that they could make a difference. Interacting with nobles any more than she already had seemed almost unbearable to her.
She was quiet for a moment after he said he would be willing to run off with her. She was glad he was the one who suggested it; she would have felt selfish to have said anything herself.
"I would prefer that," she told him. "That whole ceremony that your mother was rattling on about while planning the wedding...It's just too much for me." She reddened slightly. The prospect of all those rich people gathered in one place to watch her marry made her more nervous than anything before. Then she sighed and looked Marek in the eye.
"Before you commit to anything," she said sternly, "I want you to see what my life is actually like. You don't know my world quite as well as you may think, Marek." She smiled slightly. "Your reaction to this morning's excitement showed me that much." She became more serious again. "I want you to see the truth, and then you can decide if our worlds can truly collide, and if it would be such a good thing." She felt worried telling him this. There was a good chance that if he was what the life of a professional thief was, as opposed to an amature like him, he might get frighten off. But she would rather him know the truth than keep him in the dark. She had seen his life. It was time for him to see hers.
She stood on the tree branch and walked closer to the trunk. "We should be dry enough, I think," she told him as she shinnied around the tree to the far side and went to the very end of another branch. Once she felt far enough away, she dropped to the ground. "Come on. We should make it to Melian in time for a midday meal."
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Post by Max452 on Mar 25, 2012 17:17:31 GMT -5
Marek was silent as Kari expressed her desire for a smaller wedding, and especially during her compromise of wanting him to see how she lived before he married her. He stared down from the tree as she hopped off, still considering her words. After another second, he hopped down, matching her stride the moment he got down. "Kari. I know that your life is different than mine." He began, "And I don't think I'll ever understand it, but, if we marry, would you still want to live a life as a criminal?" He asked her, not with a tone of accusation or confusion, but one out of understanding. Marek was serious about being where ever she was, criminal or not, but he wanted to make sure that they had the best possible future together. He was still adamant that they could change the noble world if they married, but if Kari didn't want that, then he would follow to where she wanted to be. However, Marek had always desired a family, and was concerned that whatever lifestyle they chose, would be a drastic decision on whether or not they bring children into the world. Marek continued to follow Kari, knowing that he would learn to live with whatever decision they made together, he would still follow her.
OOC: Hmm not one of my greatest posts...I'm still having trouble channeling Marek...
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Post by Tismri on Apr 2, 2012 14:59:55 GMT -5
Karliah paused for a moment at Marek's question. She glanced at the ground, and thoughts of what her life had long been like returned to her mind. She had stolen for many reasons over her life: survival, money, thrills. It was something she excelled at.
"No," she answered him evenly as she continued onward. "I don't want to be a criminal after we're married. But stealing is the only life I've ever known. The only thing I can really do. And even if I stopped stealing right now, that wouldn't remove the wanted posters plastered with my face all over Alagaesia." She sighed and turned around, facing him. "Marek, where do you see us living? I don't belong in your estate. During those months with you, although I loved being with you, I hated living there. I felt too idle, spoiled, and selfish. You don't belong in the ratholes where I've been living, with other theives. They would likely crush you before you could so much as say a word, strip you of all your valuables, and throw you outside, unless I was constantly by your side through the whole time. So where do you see us in a year, five, ten?"
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Post by Max452 on Apr 3, 2012 1:03:28 GMT -5
Marek was in ponderous silence as they journeyed to their destination. Kari's words made him consider a lot of things. They really did come from different sides of the spectrum, but still, Karliah didn't know that he could handle himself quite well when he had to, especially when she needed him to. After a bit, he finally gathered his thoughts enough to share his perspective. "We shouldn't be together." His voice was flat, indifferent. "That's what you want me to say, isn't it?" His eyes darted over to her. "Kari, I know we're different, but, I want and need to be with you. And yeah, I don't want us to be chased our whole lives because of some stupid poster, and of course not, I never dreamed of staying at the estate all my life. I want a much more quieter place...where we can raise our children. I don't want them to have to worry about where they live or what they eat day by day though. I don't mind us just scrapping our whole lives and starting fresh. We can go somewhere where no one knows us, and I can hunt and sale what we can't eat, maybe even become a farmer to earn a decent living." Marek explained his thoughts, "But, at the same time, I can see that the quiet life isn't something you would like for so long." He gave her a smirk. "You love adventure, and that's what I love about you." He told her as they walked, "I think together, with our personalities and desires, that we can find a balance for both of us, and I don't know why, but I feel we're meant for something bigger, and...well, I have been thinking about this for awhile now, long before I met you again, but, if we think that our lives are unfair, why don't we change it." He stopped in front of her, making sure that she understood what he was talking about. "There's this group...the Varden, they're making things happen, changing things for the better, and for awhile now, I've been thinking about joining them." He paused, "You asked where I saw us in a year, five, or ten from now? I see us fighting for what is right, in what ever means necessary. I see us," he grasped her hands, "together, changing things for the better. We can do it, Kari. I know it in my heart that we can make this work - we just have to want it enough. So...what do you think? Do...you want to join the Varden and in essence join against those rich nobles we both despise?"
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Post by Tismri on Apr 11, 2012 14:05:22 GMT -5
Karliah waited in silence for Marek to gather his thoughts. If he could come up with an answer, she would finally know the solution to what had been plaguing her ever since she had decided to stay with him. She truly desired to be his wife, but she didn't know what would happen after that.
His solution surprised her. In all her life, she had never once considered joining the Varden. They were off fighting their holy crusade against Galbatorix, and while she wasn't particularly fond of the Empire, she never thought about fighting against it. But perhaps Marek was right; they could change both their worlds, by choosing a side in this war.
She looked up into Marek's eyes as he grasped her hands, and she thought over his question carefully.
"Wherever you choose to go, that's where I want to be," she told him. "And I feel the Varden is one of those places I can go." She smiled and kissed his lips, amazed that he had answered her question so easily.
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Post by Max452 on Apr 11, 2012 23:33:22 GMT -5
A soft sigh escaped Marek's mouth as Kari kissed him. He was satisfied with her answer and was extremely glad that they were able to figure out a solution that placated the both of them. He released himself from her hold and gave her a smile. "I'm glad you feel that way; I really think we can make a difference in this world, Kari." He stroked her cheek and gave her another chaste kiss. "Well, I think we should make our way to Dras-Leona, then, as the Varden are currently stationed there." He told her. "But, I was wondering..." He released one of his hands and went toward the chain on his neck, pulling out the makeshift necklace of Kari's ring. "...would you do me the pleasure of wearing your ring? And perhaps, we may be able to be wed as soon as possible." His eyes brightened at the prospect, and on the occurance of another idea. "My friend Romulus is rumored to be with the Varden...and I am sure that he is friends with some Riders...wouldn't that be exciting if we have a Rider wed us! That would definitely help us change the views of the Empire! What do you think?" He asked her as he slipped the ring out of its necklace confinement and presented it to her.
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Post by Tismri on Apr 30, 2012 0:40:56 GMT -5
Karliah smiled, glad that Marek seemed to be so excited about their decision. She wasn't sure how well the rebels would accept either a thief like her or a noble like him, but she knew that they would take most anyone who despised the Empire.
She gazed with a longing stare at the ring as Marek revealed it once again. She still couldn't help but wonder why he had kept it all that time, because after the way he had reacted when the saw each other again, she was sure he had hated her for leaving. She reached out to take it, but her fingers froze at his suggestion.
"Have a Rider marry us?" she asked a bit nervously, her eyes drifting downward. "That would make it a big deal, wouldn't it? A lot of people would want to see it." As she talked, her face grew red and she couldn't meet his eyes. A big huge ceremony was the exact opposite of what she wanted. Everyone in the world watching her...after so many years of no one even glancing at her, the thought left her with a huge pit in her stomach. She wasn't sure if she would be able to go through with such a thing.
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Post by Max452 on May 8, 2012 14:52:18 GMT -5
Marek smiled, amused at Kari's sudden hesitancy. He knew the reason. She hated crowds, especially ones that were staring at her. "You're a big deal." He whispered to her, drawing his body closer. "You've changed my life for the better, Kari. I want the best for you, for us. So yes, I would like to see if a Rider can wed us." He gave her a devious grin, "but, I suppose we can forgo the big audience that comes with it. I'm sure we can work something out...and then...well, I'm sure I can, uh, make it up to you on our wedding night." He leaned downward, desiring to meet her lips as the ring was being guided toward her hand. He wasn't going to let her go this time; they were bound to one another and he didn't care where or how they were married, just as long as they had each other. In some aspects, he already believed they were married already. He was just doing it proper so no one could dare claim that they were not meant for one another.
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Post by Tismri on May 9, 2012 0:02:50 GMT -5
Karliah was still a bit hesitant. She was unsure that Marek would be able to keep many people from watching them wed, especially if a Rider--ancient or new--was performing the ceremony. But as the ring slipped easily back onto her finger and she gently put her lips against his, she felt more peaceful. As long as he was there, she could suffer through anything.
"Well then. Whatever you think is best, my love," she whispered to him, touching her nose against his, breathing in his familiar scent. It hit her again just how much she had missed him. How could she ever have been so foolish as to believe she could live without him, or that he would be better off without her? From this simple touch, she knew that he was and always would be her entire world.
She chuckled lightly. "Just don't let your mother invite the entire kingdom. That would be just a little bit too much frufrah for me."
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Post by Max452 on May 9, 2012 14:48:59 GMT -5
Marek smiled, but eyed her with an exasperated sigh. "It's your wedding too, you know." He relished their closeness. "I don't want you to be uncomfortable. We can have a quiet wedding; I honestly don't care who attends. Just as long as the Rider, myself, and especially you are there." He told her in a quiet whisper. "Mother would just be fine. Besides, I doubt she'll make it if we are to be in the Varden; I think she'll live. Will just make sure she's there when our firstborn is born...that should make up for it." He smirked, drawing her closer. "We should get going, my love. I'm having a hard time keeping my hands off you....and if we don't move soon, well, we're going to be a few hours behind, I think." His fingers slid behind her back, drawing her close. Their closeness was driving him crazy and he had to force himself to part from her. He cleared his throat and pulled from her slowly. "Mmm, the sooner we get to the Varden, the sooner we're married." He declared tenderly to her as he backed off. "And until then, I'm going to act like a gentleman." He gave her a suggestive look and then began heading off toward the direction of Dras-Leona.
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