New Day Dawning // Aislynn

[Darsidian]

The paws of the great beast carried Darsidian through the trees, covering large expanses of ground surefootedly. Though this form was much faster than his human form, he was almost certain that he would not arrive at the haven of his home before the dawn broke. He knew that going into the more civilized areas of the kingdom in his present state would also be enough to alarm the citizens and it was his own sense of self preservation that made him slow the loping strides of the beast until he came to a standstill in the shelter of some trees.

The beast growled low when the first rays of the morning light hit the dark fur of its muzzle, snapping and bearing its teeth at the morning. It wasn't ready to sleep, wasn't ready to allow its form to fall away. The growl turned into a whimper as the muzzle began to shorten and the canine-like creature began to shrink, taking on a more human shape. The animalistic whimper turned into the hiss of a man holding back waves of pain. His senses were being assailed by every stimulus.

He lay on the ground for several moments as he waited for the nausea that accompanied the transformation back to human to pass. It felt as though there were daggers being driven into his brain with the headache that came from the sensitivity to light and sound that the other form gave him. This was the downside of the transformation. He could feel the little scratches all over his body from where the foliage had torn at even the furred body of the beast and knew that he was

Once he was certain that he would be able to keep down the contents of his stomach, he managed to get to his knees and get his bearings. The beast had an impeccable sense of these woods, but he was only human at the moment, the sometimes overwhelming darkness of the beast had retreated with the dawning of the day. He knew that somewhere he had stashed bags containing a set of clothes at strategic points throughout the forest for just such an occasion, though he couldn't be sure where the closest one was.

Keeping in the cover of the trees, he willed himself to his feet. He kept shuffling through the forest until he came upon one of the bags he had stashed. Changing into his clothes, he moved toward the road he knew was nearby. Once he broke through the treeline, he his hand flew up to his head. The unhindered light tore at his senses, especially with the transformation still so recent. He stumbled back until his back hit a tree, letting himself slide down the bark and adjust to the light. He was certain that with a measure of time, he would be able to make his way home.

Just a short nap on the side of the road while he waited for this headache to pass...

[Deleted]

Aislynn Turner was bored out of her mind.

The young duchess sighed dramatically as she glanced around her front room where everyone was located playing cards and ignoring her unless she needed something. She loved her chambermaids and the servants that worked for her and her family, but she longed for friends. She longed for freedom and change for something exciting and adventurous in her life. She longed to be outside and have the wind flip through her long, red hair while riding her favorite horse Scout. Scout had been a gift from her lovely sister Charlotte and she wanted to ride her. And she would.

Immediately as she stood up, everyone else did and she faced everyone with a confident look on her face and her shoulders back.

“Ladies I am going to ride. I shall return later.” She announced before exiting the front room and heading upstairs to change into some riding clothes, which consisted of her dress with some additional clothing to give her confidence and reassurance when she rode. Mostly because it was absolutely necessary for her to ride with them, gloves, and pads. No helmet, Gerard and her father said that because the royals and nobles did not wear one so they were not necessary. She rolled her eyes grateful that her husband was gone once more. She gathered her things and placed her gloves on that matched her brown dress. She knew not to wear something bright and flashy knowing that there could be anyone out there. The last thing she wanted was to bring attention to herself.

She left her room and headed down the stairs with her ladies following her and she sighed tempted to roll her eyes from the lack of privacy. However she decided against it as she headed outside and into the stables where Gustave one of the stable boys was working and he stopped when she arrived there and walked immediately over to Scout and stroked her gently.

“My lady.” Gustave greeted her and she smiled as he knew to get Scout ready and she inhaled the fresh, spring air before Scout marched up to her and she smiled and brushed her once more.

“Thank you Gustave.” Aislynn thanked him gently before he helped her climb on Scout and she pulled on the reins gently and Scout neighed before leaping off into the woods. She sighed and could not help, but placed a huge smile on her face as she held onto Scout tightly as she raced down the trail letting her master enjoy the only free time that she could have before being placed into her cage. It was as if they were connected in that way. Aislynn felt a large gush of wind flow through with her hair and she let out a very unladylike yell of excitement before slowing down when she thought she saw something on the trail ahead of her. Scout let out a protest as she was slowed down and they carefully strolled along the trails before Scout neighed once more in surprise.

Aislynn gasped as she recognized a man there sleeping peacefully on the ground. She watched him gently for a few minutes and he suddenly moved jerking in his sleep. She had never recognized him before, but she could tell he was injured since he was dirty and bloody all around his skin. She needed to help him, it was the right thing to do. She jumped down from Scout almost tripping over own two feet before slowly walking over to him and reaching over very gently to touch his shoulder. She decided to shake it gently hopefully to awaken him and get him medical treatment, but he jerked awake startling her as well. She immediately jumped away taking a couple steps back giving him some space.

“I do apologize sir, I did not mean to startle you. Are you injured? Are you alright?” She asked him curiously wondering what exactly would happen next.

[Darsidian]

Darsidian jerked awake as he felt a hand on his shoulder, instantly bringing his hands up to defend himself. It wasn't as if he was the largest fellow around, and often he was mistaken for an easy target for bandits and the like. It wasn't as if he regularly broadcast that he had the beast inside him. As such, he didn't look like much. He also knew in his present state it was futile to resist an attempt to rob him. With his injuries, he'd only succeed in getting himself hurt worse.

However, he was met with the soft gaze of a woman. He had never seen her before, of that much he was certain. His head still felt as though there were a thousand daggers piercing it, but he could at least force himself to look up. He laid a hand on his forehead as he broke eye contact with her.

"No..." he said, with a wince. Even his own voice hurt his head. He cleared his throat and started again, lowering his voice. "Uh...no apology necessary." He forced himself to look up at her, unaware that some of the larger scratches had left stains on his shirt from where they bled. "I...well...never mind," he said. He knew that whatever reason ended up coming out of his mouth was going to sound ridiculous.

He made a move to get to his feet, but the world swam in front of him. Damn the transformation he thought to himself. He always felt terribly vulnerable after the change. It would take him an hour or two to readjust.

He realized that he had been asked another question and looked up at her again. "Yeah...I'm fine. There's no need to worry about me. He put a hand up to shield his eyes from the sun pouring in from behind her. "I...don't think I'm injured..."

He realized that that made him sound either very ill because he couldn't remember getting hurt, or like a terrible drunkard. But the truth was it was nothing he hadn't handled before, even if he was injured.

"Even if I was injured, I'm sure I'd be fine to make it back. Don't trouble yourself."

[Deleted]

The last thing Aislynn wished for a complete stranger was to react the way that this gentleman did. She would never harm her and wished that she would know who did this to him, or if he had been attacked by a human or an animal. It was hard to tell at the moment since he had scratches, cuts and bruises all over him. She could not help, but be curious and wary of what had actually happened to him. He did not seem as if he deserved to be attacked or robbed even if he had not been. A million thoughts were running through her mind right now and she wanted to know exactly what was going on. Fer mother had once told her and Charlotte that one of the curses of being a woman was their desire to know everything and anything that was going on around them. She turned her attention back towards the man who had moved away from her and she stayed still to let him know that she was not going to hurt him at all. That was the last thing she wanted to do to anyone.

When it was obvious that he was lying and had told her that he was alright and not injured, she could not help, but to roll her eyes.

"Please do not lie to me sir, I know you don't know me, but I am well aware that you are gravely injured and in need of medical attention. Do you reside around here?" She asked him curiously glancing around and seeing nothing that would back her statement up of residing somewhere close by. Her manor was the only place that she knew of that was located close to the forest, but she knew she was not the only one who lived around here.

She watched him start to get onto his feet, but stumbled and she instinctively reached out to help him, but he jerked away from her once more. Blushing, she stopped and took a step backwards once more.

"I do apologize, I just want to see that you are alright before I continue my horse-riding. I know that you are injured sir, see the big scratch on your left arm. I do not wish for you to go back down the road and be attacked or something of the sort. These roads are dangerous and there are bandits and thieves around. Will you please accept my offer to travel with me to my home so my servants can at least clean you up please?" She asked him once more a bit softly wondering what exactly he would do.

[Darsidian]

He shook his head. “It wasn’t my intent to lie to you, my lady. I honestly will be fine. My head pains me…but I’m sure it will pass in a few moments.” Darsidian failed to acknowledge the gash that was entirely down one arm, though he remembered getting it when a branch had snagged at the fur of the beast while they were running back toward the village. He knew it was there but he didn’t know how to explain how he got it. He supposed that he could go with running from bandits who attacked him if pressed.

“I reside in Sol. I’m a long way out from my home. I had gone out to pick up a shipment of parchment, but I was assailed on my return trip. I’ve lost my wares, but escaped with my life.” He looked up at her. “How fortunate for me, hmm?” He watched her closely as she moved to help him, but said nothing as she backed off. The beast in him made him exceedingly wary of strangers, but the girl didn’t seem to wish him any harm. He shook his head again.

“Your concern for my well-being is very much appreciated, my lady,” he said. He chuckled a little bit when she mentioned the danger of bandits and thieves on the road. Darsidian knew that, despite not looking like much on the outside, he was probably more dangerous than anything in these woods. “You do not wish me to get attacked? What if it is I that do the attacking and this is all just a clever ruse to get you close enough to rob?” He smiled up at her to let her know that he was merely teasing her. He brought a hand up to his cheek to brush away a drop of blood from one of the cuts on his face.

He opened his mouth to refuse when, thanks to the beast in him, he caught the scent of something before he answered. The air was beginning to grow heavy and it held the promise of rain. Maybe the rain wouldn’t come right away, or even until much later in the afternoon, but he knew it would come. He took a moment to weigh his options, eyes calculating. What were the odds of her actually accepting his refusal? Did he really want to get caught in a rainstorm walking back?

After a moment, he looked up with a nod, the pain in his head slowly beginning to subside. “I would be honored to allow a lady such as yourself to take me back to her home,” he said. He knew the sexual implications of the statement were light, but sex was not his main concern at the moment. His main concern was getting to shelter before the rain hit. And judging by the state of her dress, horse, and riding accoutrements, she came from money. This was something that Darsidian had not been born into. Sure he made enough to live comfortably, but he knew if she could afford the accessories that she had, that she might be able to do a better job at bandaging him than he could do himself.

Now that the world wasn’t spinning quite as terribly, he used the tree he had been sleeping against to help him to his feet and he made a limping step forward. He’d done a number on himself this time. He knew that the pain in his ankle with each step forward came from where he had fallen over the roots while looking for the bag that had contained a spare set of clothing. “Are you sure you wish to cut your riding short simply because of a simple peasant man?”

[Deleted]

Aislynn could not help, but wonder what this gentleman had been dealing with. She looked ragged and tired and she couldn’t help, but want to help her just like she had tried to help others in the past. She did not have a bad bone in her body and no matter how many times she had been ordered to be bad and malicious to other people because of her nobility; she had always refused causing her to be a bit of a disgrace to her family. However she had her friends and allies at court so she was never in real trouble or real danger. Listening to the man groan in pain from his injuries, she knew she had to help him. What kind of person would turn away from someone who was very injured and could die from their injuries?

She listened to him talk and slowly bent down to his level, tearing off a piece of her slip, it was old anyways, and slowly placing it on a large gash on his cheek and patting it gently feeling bad when he winced in pain, “I do apologize sir, but this needs to be bandaged and wrapped before it gets infected. I know that you will be fine sir, but what about until then? You need medical treatment and I can provide you some at my home if you will escort me back there. It’s not that fair.” She offered to him once more wondering if he would take her on that offer.

“You are a long way from home then sir and you were assailed? My goodness, did you travel here alone? It is unsafe now a days with creatures and traitors and spies for both Sol and Tyrian around. Oh forgive me for not introducing myself, I am Aislynn Turner and although I hate being known for it, I am a duchess as well and live in solace with my idiot of a husband back there. My staff can help you heal your wounds faster, please accept my offer sir. Your life depends on it now, if that infection and cuts are not cleaned properly, you could get highly infected and could die. I would feel incredibly guilty if the word was true that I could not help you in your time of need.” She pleaded with him once more and then raised an eyebrow at his words.

“You are the one doing the attacking? If you were sir, then would it not be wise to inform me as much? Especially since I have invited you into my home. I find that hard to believe or digest.” She replied as she slowly smiled at his acceptance of her offer and shook her head lightly slowly helping him up and over to Caesar who was waiting patiently for her munching on grass.

“Of course I do not mind, otherwise, I would have offered. I can always ride, but you will not always have me around to help you, you know.” She said softly slowly helping him on Caesar before taking the reins and leading the smart horse back to her manor.

[Darsidian]

He opened his mouth to protest as she went to tear a piece of her slip off, but before he could protest, she had already torn the fabric. He hissed in air between his teeth as she patted gently at the cut. "Trust me, I know it needs to be taken care of. Infections are nasty things and I can't afford one." He sighed. "I'll thank you for the medical treatment, but I cannot afford to pay a physician, let alone one as beautiful, gracious, and kind as you." He smiled up at her, despite the gashes. "I am called Darsidian."

"I was alone, yes. I haven't the money to hire guards to help me when I go for such a thing as parchment. I live just in the town of Sol, not far, but just far enough that it makes it a nuisance. And apparently a hazard my lady." He quirked an eyebrow at her description of her station.

"Why would you hate being a duchess? It seems to me that a duchess can have a lot to offer, more than a simple scrivener ever could." He knew the statement sounded sincere, but to him it rang false. He wasn't just a scrivener. He was blessed, or cursed, by the forest gods of old. He chuckled softly. "Well I'd hate to make a lady feel guilty about anything. You've torn at my conscience enough to make me accept your help."

"Well maybe the reason I asked was because I hate lying to pretty ladies like yourself," he said, trying to be charming as he could in his present state. He laughed again. "But you are a kind woman, Lady Aislynn." He accepted the help from the ground to the horse and felt a stab of guilt at having to take the horse. However he knew that if her house was terribly much further away from this spot, he wouldn't be able to get there on foot. "Yes, I know. Usually when I get torn up like this, there isn't a pretty lady to save me from my injuries," he said.

[Deleted]

Aislynn could not help, but smirk when she saw the young and yet handsome man in front of her start to protest about her tearing off a piece of cloth and helping him with his open wound across his forehead. She slowly brushed a stray piece of his dark hair from in front of his eyes and placed it behind his ear giving him a kind smile glad he didn't protest back.

She slowly rolled her eyes patting his cut once more, "I do apologize for the pain, but this will keep it from being infected sir. I can pay for a physician if need be, but my sister's husband is a physician and I have picked up several tricks and methods from him. I hope you allow me to take care of you. No one has to know if you wish....Darsidian, do you have a surname? It's one I have never heard of. I do rather like unique names like that," She trailed off before hearing his compliment of her beauty, she did not regard herself as beautiful from the years of abuse that she had received from Gerard. She blushed a bit, "I thank you for your kindness Darsidian, but you do not have to be dishonest. I know I am one as pretty as others around the kingdom." She replied with a sigh blushing a bit more as she saw the wound stop the bleeding and she took his hand and placed the cloth in his hand and placed it back against it.

She listened to him gently while helping him up and she understood why he was out alone, but had a feeling that he was not speaking the truth. Everyone had secrets including her so it was nothing unfamiliar in her world. She then snorted at his question, "I hate being a duchess to a man that does not deserve me. He is cruel, abusive, greedy, selfish, irresponsible, and I am trapped in this house that I share with him. He is very unkind and there are days I confess that I truly feel like I might die from the injuries. Please do not repeat this to anyone and do not trouble yourself, he is not here for the next month, thank god. You are a scrivener? Do you work for any nobles? That sounds exciting, I love to read and write so I would throughly love that job if women were allowed as such." She replied holding onto Caesar's reins and led the jet black, kind, horse back towards the manor holding back a soft sigh, but letting it out through her nose.

Not being able to help herself at being calling beautiful once more, she blushed thankful that he could not see her at the moment.

"Thank you for accepting my offer, I promise you that with my life my staff and I will take good care of you. Thank you once again for the kinds words. You are very kind as well. Oh I see, do you get injured often then if not around pretty women?" She asked teasing him giving him a playful smile before turning down the trail and over to the beginning of her land.

"Welcome to my home, anything you want is at your disposal sir." She said leading Caesar inside of the stables as the stable hands helped Darsidian down and Aislynn took her hand in his gently and squeezed it with a sweet smile before leading him inside.

"Paulette, Emma, quickly! Get some water and bandaids and some of the Master's clothing. We need to get him cleaned up, put him in the bedroom next to my own and get him whatever he wants or needs." Aislynn gently ordered her two maids who nodded as they all helped him upstairs and into the guest bedroom. They grabbed the things they needed as Aislynn gently blushed.

"When they return, you may put on new clothing, I will leave you so you may be able to and then we shall clean your clothes and clean your wounds. Would you care for me to stay here with you or would you rather be alone?" She asked him softly. She silently wanted him to have her stay, but the decision was ultimately his.

[Darsidian]

The beast inside him felt oddly satisfied by the gentle brush of his hair away from his eyes, though he hissed again as she patted the cut again. He knew head wounds bled quite a bit, and that it was probably not as bad as it seemed, but the attention wasn’t entirely unwelcome to him. He had spent a long time alone, and it was nice that he was able to talk and not about business.

“Lady Aislynn, I don’t mind you treating me if that is your preference. I was merely telling you that I have no money with which to repay your services. Just the…erm…pleasure of my company,” he responded. He shook his head. “No, my lady. I lack the pedigree that comes with a surname. I’m simply Darsidian.” That statement was a lie in and of itself. Having the beast inside him did not make him “simply” anything. “If my name sounds exotic, it’s because I’m not from Sol. I was born in a village beyond Solraya and Tyrian. I came here when I was very young.” He laughed.

“You think my dishonest for calling you a beautiful woman? Well then, angel, call me a rogue. Because I won’t take my comment back. You are beautiful my dear, and make no mistake.” He allowed her to put his hand to his head to staunch the bleeding from the head wound. “Your husband is a foolish man to so willingly throw away the loyalty of a woman like you. If there was anything I could do for my lady…”

“Yes, my dear. I am a scrivener. I work for anyone who has the money to pay me. Sometimes it’s a lot of work. It isn’t as glamorous as it sounds,” he said. “It makes your wrist cramp up horribly some nights from all the writing.” He patted the gentle horse’s neck as it carried him toward her home. He knew he wouldn’t be able to stay long, not past dinner anyway, but it was comforting none the less.

He laughed again. “You’ve caught me. I’m not much of a fighter my lady. Much more of a lover.” It was half-true. Darsidian himself was a lover, but the beast in him gave him the best of the fighter as well. “I do tend to get roughed up occasionally. Usually I get back into town myself, albeit a little later than I intended, or some farmer with a cart gets me back home.”

He stared up at the home that Aislynn introduced as her own. “The only times I’ve ever been in a house like this was when I was delivering papers to noblemen. And even then I didn’t get much further than the entranceway.” He looked over to her when she offered her staff to be at his disposal. “You are most generous.” He stayed quiet while she ordered her servants to get things for him and allowed himself to be led upstairs with a bit of help from the servants and Aislynn.

When the servants left once again to go get clothing for him, he looked at Aislynn for a moment. “I am a guest in your home, and you are a noblewoman. I wouldn’t presume to tell you what to do.” He began to unfasten the catches on his tunic. “Though if I had my druthers, I would have you stay. It’s been a long time since I was able to talk to someone like this.

He hissed as he turned his back on her to slide the tunic off his shoulders. The fabric of the sleeve irritated his already raw arm. He laid his tunic on the edge of the bed and took stock of his injuries. Of the injuries that he could see, there was a large gash down one arm, thank the gods not his right one. There were several smaller yet still significant cuts across his chest.

What he failed to remember were the years of scars from all of his other nights of running and the fights that the beast got himself into. There wasn’t a small number of them, nor was the total terribly large. They were the cuts that he hadn’t been able to heal or the ones that had nearly taken his life. There were scars that were more faded than others, but they still remained on his body, a testament to the struggles of bearing the beast inside of him. He touched a scar that was too close to his heart. At least this time, the beast hadn’t nearly gotten him killed.

[Deleted]

Aislynn could not explain it, but she could not help herself. She had to help this caring, injured gentleman in front of her. She needed to, her conscience would never be clear if she just let him be. She made sure he was alright before standing up gently and directing him back towards her manor. She was grateful that Gerard was away for a long time otherwise he would forbid her not to help him out and not feel an ounce of sorry for this man who clearly needed help. His name…Darsidian was an unusual name yet she found herself identifying with it since her name was Irish and not common around the small, yet proud land of Solraya. When he announced that he could not pay her back since he had no money on him, she could not help, but roll her eyes at him. Money did not matter to her whatsoever and she snorted a bit softly being very unladylike.

“Money does not matter to me dear Darsidian, pay me back or do not pay me for the services. Honestly it does not matter to me. I just wish to see you all healed up before you leave. I do like your name like I said before it is unique. I like it a lot. No one I know has my name as well, so we have something in common already.” She replied with a smile before letting him into the manor and up the stairs gently into the bedroom next to her. If anyone had a problem with it, they would get over it. She certainly did not have a problem with him staying right next to her own room. He needed rest and recuperation and he would not get there if he had to make his way back to Solraya within the day. He would be in pain for the rest of the day and the infections could get worse.

As he settled into the bedroom and Emma entered the room with a bowl full of warm water and some bandages, she smiled and sat next to Darsidian watching him take off his tunic gasping softly as she saw the magnitude of scars and old dried up blood all over him. She immediately placed a cloth inside of the water and then began to gently rinse off the dried blood, “My God what were you doing last night? And nonsense, surely, you can stay here until you are healed. Forgive me for being so bold, but you can not ride or go somewhere in your condition especially with these additional scars. I must ask you to stay for as long as you need to. If you must work, then we can arrange them to send you your work here or I can pay you to do some work. I just would feel horrible if something happened to you on your way back while you are still injured. I hope you will listen to me and I thank you for your kindness. You are very handsome yourself, if you don’t mind me saying. As for my husband, let’s not mention him for the time being. Like I said I wish he would stay away forever. I am much happier when he is not around.” She said softly blushing mostly at his compliment towards her. She had not been called beautiful by someone who had been truthful with her in a really long time and she felt really honored and sweet to be called that.

“I am a lover myself, I can be feisty and stubborn when he is not around, but I am. As for being here, you can go anywhere you wish inside the manor, we have a library full of books that I spend most of my days in. Gerard…my husband brings home books for me and that is the only kind thing he has ever done for me. Of course they can be boring at times, but I go out to the village bookshop myself and get books for myself. Feel free to ask for anything you wish. I’ve told everyone to do whatever you want.” She commented as she finished rinsing him off before grabbing some cloths to wrap his wounds and cuts.

She blushed a bit more, smiling brightly when he replied that he wanted her to stay with him to keep him company, “That’s good because I enjoy having company. It’s not often that I do receive good company. Especially as someone who is kind and warm such as yourself. Now would you like to tell me a bit about yourself?” She asked him softly wrapping a cloth around his forehead to cover up the main gash that was on his forehead before moving down to his arm patting the cuts gently feeling bad that she was causing him so much pain.

“I do apologize.” She kept repeating to him softly every time he winced or hissed in pain. She hated to see anyone like this.

[Darsidian]

He smiled over his shoulder at her. “Must be nice. To not have to worry about being repaid for the goods you consume while caring for someone. I don’t have that kind of luxury,” he said. And to be honest, Darsidian may never have done work for free, unless it was of benefit to him. He wasn’t a bad guy, just one who knew how to play the games of society. It’s what kept him safe and fed this long.

He hissed as the cloth swiped over his cuts, washing away the blood that had dried on him. “I told you. I was travelling last night and managed to meet up with some unpleasant people.” He shook his head. “I can’t stay here tonight, my lady. I have business I must attend to at my shop. As much as it honors me that you would pay me to do a service for you, my lady, I cannot stay. I will rest and make my way back to my home tonight.”

He smiled as she called him handsome. “Your words are beautiful, my lady. I shall treasure them.” He caught her hand with one of his and placed his own over it. “Your husband is a lucky man to have you, Lady Aislynn. No matter what he does to you, you must believe that he is lucky to have a woman as gifted and caring as you are. You could leave him, but you choose to stay. Why?” he asked, more out of curiosity than any real need to know the answer.

He let go of her hand as she moved to go get more bandages for him. “I don’t think I’d know how to order your servants around any more than they would know how to take orders from a commoner,” he said. “But your offer is appreciated all the same.” He smiled. “Well I have some access to some fairly interesting books. Well I think they are interesting at any rate. Histories, stories from other cultures, religion, science…I have a broad array of interests. I might be interested in looking at your library if you don’t mind.”

He chuckled again. “I don’t know that I consider myself good company, but I won’t deny that I enjoy the company as well.” He cocked his head slightly as she wrapped his chest. “What is it you would like to know about me?”