Raevaryn Isteren Cove//TalionxBlythe

Talion had been busy, run ragged for the days proceeding the massacre. Between identifying bodies, tending to the injured, and rallying his soldiers after the shocking turn of events, he hadn't had a moment to himself to process anything. There was unrest in the Raevaryn towns, with good cause. A werewolf had hidden itself within the ranks of Raevaryn elites. Due to this, extra patrols were needed in the towns to make the people feel safe. And so finally, with the throne room being tended to by cleaning staff and the bodies being embalmed, his patrols all figured out, Talion could breathe. And he chose one of his favorite spots to help himself remain calm, and to have a place to think about Bram. The man's behaviour during the bloodbath had not been normal. Ari and Destrian had both voiced their concerns to him. Talion was pretty sure he'd turned the beast on Blythe. And what about Blythe? The beautiful, spunky Nethilor mage had held her own, but Talion longed to make sure she was okay, despite his misgivings about her. A woman who would use her magic to manipulate another person for his love was not a person Talion should be around.

As if his own thoughts possessed Bram's power of illusion, Blythe seemed to appear out of nowhere as Talion lay in the grass near the lake. He heard the sound of hoof beats and was already standing when she came riding into view, coming to a stop. Talion felt his throat tighten. What could he possibly say to her?

Talion watched her approach, and he could see the shame in her eyes. It made him pity her. "I haven't, but I wasn't exactly looking. Do you want me to help you find her?" The general stood, avoiding looking at Blythe by scouring his gaze over the landscape for her pet. "I'm glad you made it out of there. Did Bram try to kill you?" He asked, deciding to be up front with his suspicions.

"That's what I thought too." A dark scowl creased his brow but it was unclear whether it was for personal or professional reasons that that action concerned Talion. If the kingdoms' two head mages were at war with one another, it wouldn't end with them. "You have to try to make the situation right," he admonished her, and then fell in step beside her. Talion wasn't sure why, but he offered her his arm like a gentleman, not in the manner of his usual, gruff self. "Come, let's find Sashka."

"You know him better than I do. What would he accept as a reparation of a blatant invasion of his mind and heart?" Talion asked, a bit more scathingly than he intended to. He was mostly trying to tease her, in that biting, dry way of his. Her touch was light on his arm, but it sent shivers up Talion spine. Not a good sign, push it down. "What would you need to have happen if you were in his place?"

"I'd want to be far away from you. I'd just leave, I think." Talion sighed. He knew that the question was a difficult one. There wasn't much to do to repair that. "Did you really love him so much? Were you so afraid that he wouldn't return your feelings?" Talion inquired, trying not to let his frustration come up again. He just really really wanted to understand her. He offered his hand to Sashka for her to sniff it before stroking the dog's ears.

A shadow flickered across Talion's face. Normally, Talion would never give the mage a second look after such a confession. It was wrong, no matter what reasons she had done it for. And for the general, the world tended to be black and white, cut and dry. How could she justify using someone simply because she was bored? It was clear he was angry as his aura shifted slightly. But looking down at her, Talion felt a horrible fondness he could not explain. Perhaps fondness was too strong a word. "I could never trust someone like you, Blythe." He said finally, his voice gruff. It was as if it broke his heart a little that that was the truth.

Talion could tell that Blythe was faking a smile, and it dawned on him that his words had hurt her feelings. Why was that, why would she care what he thought of her? He straightened up as well, feeling disappointed that she was leaving, but before he could think of a reason to make her stay, she asked him a question. He sighed, running a hand through his light brown hair. His eyes were dark and the faintest hint of sadness glimmered within their depths. It was easy to forget that Talion was merely a man, as vulnerable as any to sentiments of despair. It was clearly something he didn't like to talk about, and yet, she had seen him in a full rage in front of Bram, and again at the wedding. "There's a curse in my blood, much the same as there is in Wolfgang. I can control mine, for the most part. But it rears up in moments of strong negative feelings. When I'm feeling threatened, when my adrenaline is high. It's always there, swirling, pacing like a caged animal looking for a weak link in the chain that keeps it tethered." He watched her for her reaction, though he doubted the truth of his nature would deter her. "It is also a blessing. I would not be the general of Raevaryn without it. I would not be a figure of war legend without it," he finished, the slightest smirk around the corners of his mouth. So maybe there weren't any odes written about him yet. But it was true that Talion's impressive military history preceded him most places.