Devon & Baranthus II (The Pact/Homecoming)
Nov 11, 2014 13:50:40 GMT
Post by Admin on Nov 11, 2014 13:50:40 GMT
« Thread started on: Sep 8th, 2014, 9:50pm »
DEVON & BARANTHUS
HOMECOMING
Written 8/31/14
Copied 9/8/14
Arm in arm, almost like brothers if they weren't so opposite, the men stumbled from the pleasure house laughing and singing.
“And she flipped her hair and winked once more and said 'Have a good night, young boys!'” The last words came out off key and was held much longer than was needed. That sent them both into fits of laughter once more as they turned down an alleyway a few buildings down.
Devon broke the embrace and reached into his jacket to remove a silver flask. Taking along draw from it, he then passed it to Baranthus. “Well, Baranthus, old buddy, this is it. Our last night of freedom. Tomorrow we go home and decide what kind of men we want to be.”
Baranthus took the flask and drank a fair amount before sticking it in his jacket. “Well, pup,” the common nicknames, used since childhood, still rolled from their lips as easily as their breaths. “I believe ye will always be what ye always been... a great leader of me.” He threw his arm back over Devon's shoulder. “And I shall be what I ha' always been...” He laughed as he bent his arm and dragged Devon into a near choke hold and rubbed his knuckles of the other hand into the dark tresses of his friend's head, “the man always cleaning up behind ye!” He laughed as a drunk Devon feebly attempted to escape. Then he let him go and sprinted out of the ally and down the street towards the outskirts of town. “Come on, pup! We have a promise to keep!”
Devon growled and yelped as he was teased by Baranthus. He stumbled as he was set free and laughed harder trying to get his feet under him to chase his friend. “A promise, Aye! I'll get even with you, first, old man.” He laughed and disappeared into the dark after the other man.
**
A few hours later, right as the nearly full moon crested in the night sky, the two entered the woods. A bit more sober than either wished to be, but they sang anyway. Their spirits lifted by the growing distance between them and the city. That growing distance meaning home was that much closer.
“And she flipped her hair as she headed upstairs saying, 'We'll all have some fun, young boys!'” The final word once more off key and the unspoken sure to dissolve once more into near hysterical laughter.
Devon caught his breath first. “Ah, I will miss this. But it will be nice to get home again. If I judged right, we should be back in time to see Timothy, Arnos and Michael off in the next week or so for their own Self Finds.”
“Aye,” Baranthus' heavy accent laughed with him, “Now those three aught to be in grand shape on their journey. Trouble makers already, I feel a fair night o' sorry for the world tho',” he snickered. “They might make more trouble than us, lad.” The two laughed harder at the thought.
As they came to a clearing, Devon stopped. His friend turned a moment later realizing he was alone. Looking at Devon curiously, he threw his hands in the air. “Now what are ye stoppin' for? It's not like we got all night ye know.”
Devon held his hand up to silence his friend. “Baranthus, are we not the best of friends?” He asked in a somber voice.
Baranthus turned fully to him and cocked his head wearily. “Aye, Devon. That we be.”
Devon asked, “Are we not close enough to be kin... to be brothers?”
Baranthus laughed softly and took a step towards him. “Aye. I have called ye 'brother' for as long as I've known what it meant. And ye have done the same. What is this about? What makes ye carry on so, pup?”
The dark haired man shook his head. “Nothing worries me excepting the future, old man. We'll be the heads of our houses soon. And I know your father had raised you to want the rule over The Three just as Cat's father had taught her so desire someday. But it can't be. We both, no, we all know it. They rule as equal council because that is what balance is.”
Baranthus closed the distance and laid a hand on Devon's shoulder. He could almost feel the weiht there that his friend spoke of. The mantels they would bear in the next few years as they became the heads of their houses. It was true Baranthus' father, Lord Kannen of House Valdus wished to rule above the other two. He had tried to raise Baranthus to want the same. Just as Catalia's father, Lord Aekhold of House Mestophilies tried to instill in her. Only Devon's father, Lord Chalis of House Winterwolfe knew that balance between the three houses was the only way the Ire had survived all these centuries, and would do so for centuries to come. “Lord Chalis and you showed us the wisdom in the balance when we were young students of his. You have nothing to fear from Lit'le Cat, nor myself. None want the chaos that would come from breaking The Balance.”
devon nodded and lifted a hand to cover Baranthus'. “Then let use make the pact. The one my father's father made with your father's father. Let us protect our future so no one can ever put one against the other. I know Cat will make the same promise once she knows we have have. Don't you see?” His eyes lit with a desperation and determination that made his friend smile.
“All right, pup. We'll do it in the mornin' after a good night's sleep in our own beds.” He tried to tug Devon with him as he turned to begin walking again. But Devon stepped from his grasp.
“No, Baranthus. It has to be here, now, tonight. If we go home first there are things... people... who will try to keep us apart.” Though he didn't mention his friend's father, they both felt it hand in the air between them.
Baranthus dropped his hand and nodded. “All right. I see yer point.” Beginning to shed his formal jacket, then his skirt, he watched as Devon did the same.
Both men knelt in the center of the clearing and Devon pulled a dagger from his leg sheath. Both men had left with little to nothing a year ago. But in time they had found a small, concealable weapon was handy on mean of means. They both carried such daggers. “Do you remember the ceremony?” He asked as they closed the distance between them to a mere foot or so.
« Last Edit: Sep 8th, 2014, 9:54pm by Llewellynn »
DEVON & BARANTHUS
HOMECOMING
Written 8/31/14
Copied 9/8/14
Arm in arm, almost like brothers if they weren't so opposite, the men stumbled from the pleasure house laughing and singing.
“And she flipped her hair and winked once more and said 'Have a good night, young boys!'” The last words came out off key and was held much longer than was needed. That sent them both into fits of laughter once more as they turned down an alleyway a few buildings down.
Devon broke the embrace and reached into his jacket to remove a silver flask. Taking along draw from it, he then passed it to Baranthus. “Well, Baranthus, old buddy, this is it. Our last night of freedom. Tomorrow we go home and decide what kind of men we want to be.”
Baranthus took the flask and drank a fair amount before sticking it in his jacket. “Well, pup,” the common nicknames, used since childhood, still rolled from their lips as easily as their breaths. “I believe ye will always be what ye always been... a great leader of me.” He threw his arm back over Devon's shoulder. “And I shall be what I ha' always been...” He laughed as he bent his arm and dragged Devon into a near choke hold and rubbed his knuckles of the other hand into the dark tresses of his friend's head, “the man always cleaning up behind ye!” He laughed as a drunk Devon feebly attempted to escape. Then he let him go and sprinted out of the ally and down the street towards the outskirts of town. “Come on, pup! We have a promise to keep!”
Devon growled and yelped as he was teased by Baranthus. He stumbled as he was set free and laughed harder trying to get his feet under him to chase his friend. “A promise, Aye! I'll get even with you, first, old man.” He laughed and disappeared into the dark after the other man.
**
A few hours later, right as the nearly full moon crested in the night sky, the two entered the woods. A bit more sober than either wished to be, but they sang anyway. Their spirits lifted by the growing distance between them and the city. That growing distance meaning home was that much closer.
“And she flipped her hair as she headed upstairs saying, 'We'll all have some fun, young boys!'” The final word once more off key and the unspoken sure to dissolve once more into near hysterical laughter.
Devon caught his breath first. “Ah, I will miss this. But it will be nice to get home again. If I judged right, we should be back in time to see Timothy, Arnos and Michael off in the next week or so for their own Self Finds.”
“Aye,” Baranthus' heavy accent laughed with him, “Now those three aught to be in grand shape on their journey. Trouble makers already, I feel a fair night o' sorry for the world tho',” he snickered. “They might make more trouble than us, lad.” The two laughed harder at the thought.
As they came to a clearing, Devon stopped. His friend turned a moment later realizing he was alone. Looking at Devon curiously, he threw his hands in the air. “Now what are ye stoppin' for? It's not like we got all night ye know.”
Devon held his hand up to silence his friend. “Baranthus, are we not the best of friends?” He asked in a somber voice.
Baranthus turned fully to him and cocked his head wearily. “Aye, Devon. That we be.”
Devon asked, “Are we not close enough to be kin... to be brothers?”
Baranthus laughed softly and took a step towards him. “Aye. I have called ye 'brother' for as long as I've known what it meant. And ye have done the same. What is this about? What makes ye carry on so, pup?”
The dark haired man shook his head. “Nothing worries me excepting the future, old man. We'll be the heads of our houses soon. And I know your father had raised you to want the rule over The Three just as Cat's father had taught her so desire someday. But it can't be. We both, no, we all know it. They rule as equal council because that is what balance is.”
Baranthus closed the distance and laid a hand on Devon's shoulder. He could almost feel the weiht there that his friend spoke of. The mantels they would bear in the next few years as they became the heads of their houses. It was true Baranthus' father, Lord Kannen of House Valdus wished to rule above the other two. He had tried to raise Baranthus to want the same. Just as Catalia's father, Lord Aekhold of House Mestophilies tried to instill in her. Only Devon's father, Lord Chalis of House Winterwolfe knew that balance between the three houses was the only way the Ire had survived all these centuries, and would do so for centuries to come. “Lord Chalis and you showed us the wisdom in the balance when we were young students of his. You have nothing to fear from Lit'le Cat, nor myself. None want the chaos that would come from breaking The Balance.”
devon nodded and lifted a hand to cover Baranthus'. “Then let use make the pact. The one my father's father made with your father's father. Let us protect our future so no one can ever put one against the other. I know Cat will make the same promise once she knows we have have. Don't you see?” His eyes lit with a desperation and determination that made his friend smile.
“All right, pup. We'll do it in the mornin' after a good night's sleep in our own beds.” He tried to tug Devon with him as he turned to begin walking again. But Devon stepped from his grasp.
“No, Baranthus. It has to be here, now, tonight. If we go home first there are things... people... who will try to keep us apart.” Though he didn't mention his friend's father, they both felt it hand in the air between them.
Baranthus dropped his hand and nodded. “All right. I see yer point.” Beginning to shed his formal jacket, then his skirt, he watched as Devon did the same.
Both men knelt in the center of the clearing and Devon pulled a dagger from his leg sheath. Both men had left with little to nothing a year ago. But in time they had found a small, concealable weapon was handy on mean of means. They both carried such daggers. “Do you remember the ceremony?” He asked as they closed the distance between them to a mere foot or so.
« Last Edit: Sep 8th, 2014, 9:54pm by Llewellynn »