Counsel

[Tismri]

Tento watched the fanfare that accompanied the arrival of her beloved cake. The size of it astounded her--especially as it was made specifically for her--but she expected nothing less of the dwarves. The frosting that coated it was a creamy white, and when she sliced into it, the pastry itself was a deep red color. The dwarves were obviously quite pleased with their work. Tent took a fork and sank it into her slice of cake, tasting it dantily. Well...dantiness didn't last very long. She had the entire piece down less than a minute later and eagerly helped herself to another. When she was finished, she sat back and gave Aiden a wide grin.
"Well, they weren't lying," she informed him. "Though I'm afraid I won't be able to eat it all before it goes bad. That would be such a waste, too." She looked at the masterpiece of delicious sweetness with a measure of pitiful regret. She turned her attention back to Aiden. A sly smile crossed her face. "Well, you kept your end of the bargain," she told him. She stood and walked over to him, brushing her hand against his shoulder. "I suppose it's my turn..."

[Max452]

Aiden watched Tento eat the cake with her usual gusto when it came to sweets; a grin on his face. He raised an amused eyebrow as he leaned into his hand as his elbow rested on the dwarven table. "Only two slices, Ten? I'm surprised." He chuckled. "I'm sure you'll want some more later, if not, I'm sure Lenora would love some once she awakens from her nap." Aiden told his beloved with a smile. Aiden's eyes perked up with a bright glint as Tento manuevered toward him. "Mmm, I can't wait." He wrapped his arms around his mate and smiled up at her. "I missed you." He finally admitted.

After being apart for months, Aiden was nearly driven mad without having Ten beside him everyday. Sometimes, he really hated his position as a Rider, as it required him to be on a constant move as he went about all of Alagaesia running Queen Nasuada's missions and settling disputes. It was all fun and exciting for him, until a few years ago when he and Ten finally got together. The long separations would kill him, and the reunions never seemed to be long enough.

"My room is this way." He gave her an opened, longing look; he had missed her terribly. "How long will you stay?" He asked her, trying to hide his sad look as he got up and began leading her to his temporary quarters, forgetting about the cake. His stay in the dwarven city was up in the air, for the moment, until all the leaders decided on a plan of action. If King Orik decided to aide, then he would be stationed here to help with the preparations until the march or when Nasuada called for his return. He had no idea where Tento would be placed; it really depended on what Queen Arya wished.

[Tismri]

Tento followed Aiden to his room, trying to keep the distressed look from her face. The time apart was tormenting to both of them, but they each had responsibilities. Neither of them were able to spend as much time together as they wanted, and she knew it was killing him as much as her. However, she tried not to focus on that. It would only sour their reunion, and she didn't want to waste their precious time together pouting over how brief it was.
"I missed you, too," she whispered to him as they walked. She took ahold of his hand gently. Her anticipation of reaching their destination made the journey seem as if it took forever. She contemplated over his question as they walked.
"I'll be here for as long as Arya Drotting remains," she told him. "Or until such a time as she reassigns me. I volunteered to escort her on her trip here." She gave Aiden a slight smile. Her motivations were coming were not quite for the elven queen's sake alone.
They soon reached his room, and Ten felt her heart beating with such anticipation that she nearly shoved him through the door. The instant the door shut behind them, she pounced on him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and her legs around his waist. She was petite enough that it didn't cause him to fall, and strong enough that she could hold on without his having to catch her. She brought her lips close to his.
"I really, really missed you," she admitted to him before closing in on the kiss.

[Max452]

Aiden smiled as he walked along with Ten, feeling a bit better after she held his hand. He chuckled when she mentioned volunteering to come. "I'm surprised you heard I was here." He told her as he finally reached his door. He opened the door, about to say something when Ten pushed him in (well, for her it was probably a tap), and managed to swing the door shut when he stumbled inside. He laughed at her eagerness and was thus surprised next, when she pounced him. "Whoa!" He caught her, feeling his heart rate speed up dramatically. He was rather hoping to talk and catch up first, but this way was better! His humored smile softened into a affectionate smile. "I love you, Ten." Aiden replied, feeling as if time slowed as he stared into her eyes, one hand pushing back a bang, while the other supported her. He met her kiss tenderly, wanting to savor every moment with her; to take his time. The rest of the night was a soft, passionate, and loving blur for Aiden, and all he could recall of that night was the reassuring feeling that he had found his mate.
~~~
Aiden was propped up against the bed frame, seemingly staring at the ceiling as he held Tento in his arms. His thoughts were one of happiness as he listened to her steady breathing as she slept. He had awoken perhaps an hour or so later after Tento finally let him sleep; she had intended to keep her end of the bargain wholeheartedly. He thought about the past, how arrogant, but mostly angry he was when they had first met. How they had bloomed a very love/hate relationship at first, but somehow molded it into a peculier friendship. He wondered when it began to change into something more. His thoughts flitted over to when they had taken that mission together with Karliah. Somewhere during that mission, Aiden had found the identity of the soldier that had killed his family and sold him into slavery. He was so angry then. He clearly remembered his bent desire to make the man suffer. He remembered how he bound his time as they were able to finish the mission, but instantly took off the night after, heading to Daret, where the Captain was stationed.

Hatred was a nasty disease. It sucked at the soul and collided the lines between right and wrong. He remembered that Tento had somehow tracked him down when he was in the midst of fighting against his troops. The pleas of Lenora begging him to leave those uninvolved out of his personal vendetta, but out of vain. Aiden wanted to destroy the man who had taken away everything he held dear. However, the moment he was about to stab the man in the heart, Tento had intervened.

Aiden frowned at the memory. He had said cruel words to Tento then. Words out of anger for the man that needed to pay for his crimes. He wondered how Tento even calmed him down and managed to reason with him; he wondered how she didn't just smack him down like she normally would have. Had their feelings started then? Even Lenora wasn't able to reason with him - how did Ten? Ah, Aiden remembered now. How could he have forgotten. It was her eyes. There was something in them that snapped him out of it. He left Daret that day, with a tied up Captain that he delivered to Queen Nasuada to deal with - the man held information that could aide them.

Aiden continued to idly stroke Tento's shoulder, grateful that she had stopped him. Of course he was mad for a few days - he didn't talk to her for those days - that he wanted to just scream and change his mind to kill the Captain. He held his peace though. Remembering Tento's words. Aiden smiled then. She knew how to get him riled up sometimes, but she also knew how to calm him down, despite their bad tempers.

Now, staring at the beauty next to him, Aiden was content and glad that somehow, they had reconnected. The past had formed a bond between them, a bond that would form into love a few years after the war. Since then, Aiden had never looked back, but only looked forward, with Tento by his side. The once hot-tempered Rider bent his head and kissed Ten's forehead, grateful that their futures were intertwined.

[Tismri]

Tento's eyes moved rapidly under their lids; her dreams were more like vivid memories. She was recalling those early days with Aiden. The odd way their friendship had started still stuck in her mind. She wasn't even sure she really liked him back then. She saw him as just another human, and he annoyed her a bit more than the others. It was not uncommon for the two of them to be heard shouting at one another in the Varden camp.
She recalled that one mission. The one that had started it all for them. He had run off before they even reached the castle. Ten had wanted to beat him black and blue for jeopardizing their mission and their lives like that. She followed him, tracking him down to Daret of all places.
What she found there was not Aiden. Not the one she knew. The man standing before her was a cold-hearted creature, about to mercilessly cut down an enemy who had surrendered honorably. The soldier within her had revolted against that sight. Everything she felt she stood for defied it, and she felt the need to intervene.
Beyond that, there was something else. She knew that if she let him go through with this, Aiden would then always remain that hard, hateful monster. He would never again be the annoying, playful man, with whom she could spar or speak, laugh together or scream at each other. He would lose everything that made him what she loved about him.
When she caught sight of him, Aiden was already in mid-thrust of putting his blade through the captain. All of these thoughts were processed through her mind in a single instant, and she immediately resolved what to do. She grabbed his arm and forcibly turned him to face her. His eyes were cold and emotionless.
Aiden...stop, she clearly remembered saying. She felt tears start to appear in her own eyes. She knew she'd said more to him. She knew she even got around to yelling at him again at one point, but the words she said, and whatever he'd told her as well, did not stick in her mind. Or she chose not to remember. But whatever she'd said, it brought him back to her. Playful Aiden. Angry Aiden. But not the hateful thing she saw that day.
He was angry with her, even after they returned to the Varden. She knew this, but oddly, knowing he was angry made her happy. It meant he was back. She had not lost him to the thing. Eventually, he forgave her as well. Things resumed between them as normal.
Over the next couple of years, their relationship began to evolve. They went from a love/hate friendship to one simply of love. After a while, she realized that she had somehow singled him out for a potential mate, which rather surprised her at first. She'd always considered humans an inferior race, but he had somehow managed to change her opinion on that. When she discovered he had similar feelings, they took their relationship to that level.

Ten stirred from her recollections when she felt Aiden move. A smile formed on her face as she felt him kiss her forehead. She snuggled closer to him, and opened her eyes, tilting her head to look at him. What she had intended to say was 'good morning.' However, her mind moved too quickly for her mouth, as usual.
"I disliking being underground," she stated to him.

[Max452]

Aiden felt Tento stir and glanced down to meet her light emerald eyes. He gave her a warm smile and then laughed at her remark. "Yes. I know how much you prefer the wild; as do I. It makes me miss home." He told her, referring to their home in De Weldenvardn, or her home that he would stay at when he was there. He could easily and happily recall the day when she finally offered him one of her drawers in her dresser; a much easier solution for his constant travels - he now had a permanent location for his favorite clothes - and abrupt missions. He also had some of his other belongings at her home as well; books, weapons, mementos from his travels, and various other things he had collected over the years. Speaking of his things, Aiden had thought he packed his favorite shirt (mostly because Ten said that he looked really handsome in it), but could never find it. He hoped he hadn't lost it, but he had a nagging suspicion that a certain elf had stowed it away when he wasn't looking.
"I can't wait until we're back there. I miss exploring the woods and caves with you." He told her as he held her closer. "The Beor's are quite fascinating and I like to explore it, but, it's not the same as being at home." He admitted to her as his fingers stroked her shoulder and back.