Running away

[Gwendolan]

(Continued from the Ball)

She ran right into the arms of a man; this was the last thing she needed.

"Pyl's sys ti."

She pushed back on him gently, she did not want to hurt him just wanted to make him let her go. The tears continued to stream down her face as she moved around him and continued to run for the tree line.

(Don't touch me)

[Guest]

A lesser man would have called her an unsavory name and gone on to the ball. But Manny, no he would never allow such a thing. He might not have been a knight in shinning armor, but she was a damsel in distress and he had to go to her. If for no other reason than he didn't speak elvish, though he knew it when he heard it.

So it was an about face and he set out after her. Well, those few extra pounds he carried wouldn't last long. Between missing dinner and giving chase to a woman in tears, the pounds were going to burn of quickly. "Wait. Hold on, what did you say? Don't make an old man have a heart attack trying to catch you." He almost chuckled at that one. But he would need to conserve his breath if he was going to catch her.

[Gwendolan]

Gwendolan heard him but she did not stop; not until she was in the trees. Then she just stopped and rested against a tree she sunk down to the ground and buried her face in her knees as she drew them up into her chest.

Why this day of all days did she have to see him?

[Guest]

Thank the God's she stopped. Manny caught up with her and placed his hands on his knees while he panted, trying to catch his breath. "I ... I don't speak ... Elvish. Do ... you speak ... common?" He was trying to catch his breath even more after speaking. "What ... did you say?" He shook his head then sat upright to get a better breath.

[Gwendolan]

"I said don't touch me."

She did not want to talk but she had promised not to go far so she stayed on Claremount's grounds. She just felt the need to be back in the trees, back where she felt at home.

"You should not have followed me."

[Guest]

Manny sat down on the ground, making sure not to touch her. "Why not? Do you turn into a beast of some sort once you're in the woods?" He figured she wouldn't find him funny, but it was a joke.

[Gwendolan]

She looked up at him through her tears.

"No, I do not, I am simply what I am. An elf."

She didn't like him so close to her but she stayed where she was.

[Guest]

Manny smiled. It was always nice to meet someone who was simply what they appeared to be. No guises, no secret identities, no alter ego's, no other forms. "And I am simply what I appear to be, a mere mortal man. My name is Manny, and as beautiful as you are, I do hope you have something I can call you other than beauty." His smile held that hint of innocence that only humans could have.

[Gwendolan]

She looked up at him through her tears.

"Gwendolan"

She told him because she did not what him calling her Beauty and it did not seem like he was going to leave. She couldn’t hurt him and she did not know the area well enough to hide, so she stayed were she was; watching his every move.

[Guest]

A lovely name for a lovely lady. Manny would have said as much if it weren't so cheesy. He settled for something a little more polite. "It's a pleasure to meet you Gwendolan." And no, he wasn't going anywhere. "So how about you tell me what has you so upset. Provided it's not too personal that is. I don't want to make you even more uncomfortable." Yes, he knew she was uncomfortable. And he was sorry for that. But he felt the need to try and help her. Besides, does anyone realize what it would take for him to get up off the ground?

[Gwendolan]

Why was he so insistant on staying? She was mad that is why she was crying, well there was a touch of pain as well. Her anger won out as she looked at him; her voice still calm but it was full of venom.

"How would you feel if you came face to face with the person who stole your child, and ruined your life."

The wind began to pick up.

[Guest]

Manny was a little shocked by her statement. "Who would dare do such a horrible thing?" He could not believe that someone would kidnap her child. Then again, he didn't know who her child was, or who the person was who stole them.

[Gwendolan]

Gwen looked at Manny.

"Her own father ripped her from my arms when she was ten and kept her from me for forty years."

The wind began to pick up and thunder would be heard. It seemed the madder she got the worse the weather became.

[Guest]

Manny couldn't help himself, his jaw dropped on that one. He looked up to the sky. He was no idiot, he did after all grow up around Venis and has never not been in her employ. He knew a mood storm when he saw one. "That's horrible Gwendolan. Is your daughter, or her father, someone I might know?" He was very curious now, even though he knew that if the storm got too bad, he was going to get wet and muddy in his only tux.

[Gwendolan]

She was trying to reign back in her anger, but it was getting beyond her controle. This was the reason that she had not spoken of this in over onr hundred years.

"They are both inside, with my grandchild."

It was now starting to rain.

[Guest]

The lady was wearing white and it was starting to rain. What else would a gentleman like Manny do ... He took off his jacket and handed it to her to keep her covered. "Both inside with your grandchild?" He hadn't made it to the ball yet. But she was an elf, and Emilia was half elf, and had just adopted a daughter ... "Emilia? Emilia is your daughter an Eros did those horrible things to you?" Well, that was a bit of a problem. Manny couldn't exactly take on a God.

[Gwendolan]

She didn't even remember taking his jacket from him but she had it. She didn't know why she was telling him all this.

"Yes, he did thoes things to me and more."

Her voice was barely a whisper. As her anger at the situation came to a head,the sky oppened, and the rain started pouring down.

[Guest]

Manny was facinga serious issue now. Eros was Venis' friend. Venis was his boss. Eros was Emilia's father. Bit here sat her mother, heartbroken and upset. And Manny just wanted to take her in his arms and tell her that everything was going to be ok. But he knew better, she had already told him not to touch her. "Gwendolan, I am sorry he did that. He is a discrase to males everywhere for being so selfish and egotistical. But I assure you, we are not all like that. How could there be more?" That more fed his morbid curiosity.

[Gwendolan]

Gwen now sat there shaking, they would both be soaked, the storm continued. She just shook her head it was to painfull, the other was where the hurt was not just the anger.

"Never, I will never speak of it again."

The hurt she kept inside, it was probably the one part she really needed to let go.

The rain was begining to stop as the anger began to fade. The snow around them had tuned to slush; and still Gwen made no sign she was going to move.

She drew her legs in closer, that pulled her robes tighter. If Manny was looking he would see she was bare foot. This was normal for Gwen but Manny woulden't know this.

[Guest]

Manny could not hold back any longer. He leaned in and he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "If you let it out it ill hurt less." He did notice she was barefoot. But to him it was no big deal, he knew an elf once who refused to wear pants and underwear. He had nicknamed him Donald. What would you expect of Manny, he was from 20th century Earth.

[Gwendolan]

She was not expecting him to touch her again, and hugged first she was stiff as a board; then she was hitting him, and crying.

"Ai mar pyl's sys ti."

She was crying even more but these were not angry tears, there was no storm.

"Ai syl ci jhylaer ti."

She was still now and just sobbing.

(I said don't touch me. I thought he loved me.)

[Guest]

Manny just sat there letting her beat on him as he held her. When she finally stopped beating on him he pulled her closer to him and stroked her hair while he held her tight. He made some hushing noises. He told her it was ok and to let it out, but mostly he just held her. He would wait before he asked her about the Elvish. He didn't know what she said, but it didn't sound nice. Well, not all of it at least.

[Gwendolan]

She sat there letting him hold her she didn't know why no man had dared touch her but her father in over one hundred years. She was finished crying but now she was exusted now and falling asleep. She was also shaking like a leaf, it was cold out and they were both soaked.

[Guest]

Manny moved his legs to under him as he moved his arms to under her legs. One arm behind her and one under her legs and he was slowly lifting her up in his arms. He would let her stay snuggled in his arms while the unsuspectingly strong man carried her back to the castle.

He took the servants entrance and then the back stairs. He went to a room on the second floor. It was his room but it would work. He carried her over to the bed and sat down upon the bed turning as he did to set her beside her. He continued to hold her as he pulled up the blankets to wrap them around her. "You can rest in here tonight Gwendolan. I can get another room." He meant it, he wouldn't dream of taking advantage of a lady. Or even letting it look like he did.

[Gwendolan]

She pulled the blankets tightly around herself. She had so many questions going through her mind. She was shaking, but at least she was starting to warm up.

"Why did you follow me?"

The question was simple and it was but one on her mind. Now she did something that she had not done in a long while. She asked for help.

"I didn't bring any clothes with me, I am soaked and I need something dry."

Gwendolan was small by most human standards, only five foot one, and she was very light. Finding something dry for her to put on would not be hard.

[Sponsored content]