The Deep Den

[Deleted]

She let him grab it, and clasped him with her fingers. Her eyes were hard. "We are husband and wife, you and I. We take our risks together. It is natural to worry, but I am hard to kill, Cedric, especially when I have a husband and children to protect. You insult me by trying to send me away."

[Bunny-Rabbit]

"How do I insult you? I hear your words but they make no sense to me." Cedric queried. He pulled her close, and began to work on her jerkin again.

[Deleted]

"Stop it," she said, pushing him away. "This is no time for playing. You know full well why it is an insult to me. I'm not a coward or a deserter of my soldiers or my family, yet you would have me do both. I'm a fighter, Cedric. That is what I do best. I belong here with you, not running a message that any half-witted fool could take."

[Bunny-Rabbit]

Cedric smiled slightly, "I am not an honorable man. You know that right. I do not care two figs for the code a knight must follow."

[Deleted]

"I'm not talking about a knight's code," she said fiercely. "I'm talking about my code. I'm not leaving. And that is final."

[Bunny-Rabbit]

"Aranya, I don't care about your code, I only care about you." Cedric replied, "I do not know what you are so afraid of, that people will think you craven." eying her jerkin he said, "Are you going to take that off?"

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She ignored the question, though he saw the anger spark in her eyes. "I don't give a shit about what others think of. This is between me and my principles. And I don't care about you and your stupid attempts at chivalry, you idiot, I only care about protecting you."

[Bunny-Rabbit]

"Are you implying that your lone sword and, dare I say, love are going to hold back the hordes? Because, forgive me but I think the stone walls and scores of armed servants are going to be a great more aid to my protection." Cedric replied, "And for the record, your naked breasts would be a great emphasis on all of your points."

[Deleted]

"Don't make me hit you," she growled. "You're being an idiot."

[Bunny-Rabbit]

"Hit me, I would enjoy that greaty." He made a small roar like a cat, "And reducing yourself to name calling? You can do better then that."

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"Don't be absurd, Cedric," Aranya's mouth twitched when he made the small roar - that had somehow effectively calmed her anger. "Why are we fighting? Because you have some crazy idea that I need to be out of harm's way?"

[Bunny-Rabbit]

"I am dismayed that you think my idea is crazy. Do you think me wanting to you live, a full life and raise our children, so some stranger does not have too is crazy?" Cedric replied, "And how will raise them if we both die. Elena? Benedicta?"

[Deleted]

"No," Aranya's nostrils flared at that. "There is my brother Darien, or my cousin Sara, or Roland. I trust them." She seemed disturbed, however, when he mentioned her children growing up as orphans.

[Bunny-Rabbit]

"I trust Sara, but she is busy, and there are others who I do trust. But that is not the same, and you know that. We are their parents. One of us should be there. Don't you agree?" Cedric stepped forward and pulled at her jerkin again. "Should I leave?"

[Deleted]

Aranya was silent. She was thinking back to another battle, on the summit of Great Tette many years ago, when Selwyn took a spear into the gut for her. Brynden had been a baby at Runestone, and at that very battle Selyse had been newly planted in her womb. Aranya had thought about that moment obsessively, for many years later. What if Selwyn hadn't jumped in front of her that day? There would have been no Aranya, although that didn't matter as much as him - but there would have been no Selyse. And the thought of a world with no Selyse disturbed Aranya deeply.

If she died here...

Aranya turned away abruptly. "My children know the risk I take," she said, blocking out Brynden's words of reproach. "I cannot hide behind my family. And though you are the commander here, my heart wishes you would leave, though I cannot ask you to."