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Iseria was a fairly Utopian queendom before Queen Amaryllis fell ill. When she was no longer fit to rule the land, it fell into disarray and a massive depression. Amaryllis was a very young queen, only around 25 in human years, and hadn't yet been able to bear any children. The throne would be hard to fill without her daughter or son to replace her, due to the rest of her family not wanting to be involved in political hierarchies.

Asher, Belle, Gallagher, and Phary were called upon by Queen Amaryllis' advisers to travel to Kamrydon, an Elven kingdom in the far west, many leagues away from any other intelligent life. The Elves were a very secluded group of peoples, due to how advanced and civilized their culture was. They liked to keep people out, but had a fairly close alliance with the Faeries of Iseria. Hopefully, they'd be able to take an Elven physician back to Iseria with them to evaluate the Queen and brew up something to cure whatever illness it was that the Faery doctors couldn't grasp.

Each with a scroll signed by Amaryllis herself, we find Asher, Gallagher, Belle, and Phary, preparing in a large hall, full of supplies and such. Each member of the group was allotted a large backpack, saddlebags/saddle, one of the queendom's finest stallions, two weeks of foods, hunting supplies, and other nessecities. Other things of their own accord that they wanted to bring had to fit with them, such as a sword or staff, and other battle items.

Asher sat in a stool slightly too short for his long legs, eyes fixated on Gallagher. He ignored Belle. She had been on his back all week nagging about the damn fletching of the arrows that he couldn't fix since they hadn't the correct feathers. Hopefully, that would be corrected before they left, or he'd be stuck raiding some poor villager's farm for chicken feathers. He scowled mentally, and continued securing his multiple leather pouches. You never know when dreamfoil or felweed would come in handy.

Unlike Belle, Asher was not entirely comfortable unarmed. While his master kept lecturing about the importance of their craft, he thought she was arrogant. Too egotistical for her own good. Going unarmed nowadays was suicide. He added two small daggers to the sides of his legs, tucking them in the custom-made holders. He was armed, head to toe.

Oh wait..

He chuckled, he'd almost forgotten those. He dug around one of the pouches for something, and couldn't find it. In fact...where the heck did he put it?!

Belle smiled sweetly, and with a voice like tiny silver bells, she purred at Asher, "Forgot these?"

She held up something that almost seemed like nothing. Upon closer observation, however, you'd see there were tiny silver pins about one and a half times the length of Belle's fingers, sharp, hollow, with a tiny green bead at the back of each. Decorative and elegant.

"You know, Asher, you really don't need them.." She sighed, ignoring Asher's glare. He was so childish sometimes. So paranoid, pessimistic, and almost weak. If it wasn't for his beauty..."What, are you going to kill me or something?"

He was tempted to. But then he'd regret it...

Belle laughed in her voice of honey, then tilted her head ever so slightly, as if curious.

"Hmm..." She shrugged, then looked over her shoulder, "When do we leave, Phary?..Asher is acting like a kept whore."

She rolled her eyes, then continued twirling her hair with her fingertips, adding a perfect curl. Her feet dangled off the edge of the table.

Gallagher looked at Asher, who had been staring at him, with a piercing and fairly unnerving gaze for a while now. "What's up, Ashy? I got those feathers you needed.. Picked 'em up on my way here." He reached into a pouch at his waist and brought out a bundle of prime fletching feathers. Tossing them in Asher's direction, he shouted "INCOMINNNNGG~!" before turning back to his stuff.

A green blade rested over his large backpack, the sheath cast aside. This blade was sacred, at least to Gallagher. He polished it almost daily, and now it needed a special shining in honor of this voyage.
Flipping his long, dark green hair over his shoulder, Gallagher picked up a red cloth and started rubbing away at a few duller spots on the sword. It was about five feet long, fairly light, and good for fighting foes that are stronger than you physically. Allowing for very fast, but lethal blows, Karine was one of the best-made weapons you could own.

Re-sheathing it in a dull green scabbard to match the blade and the emeralds that glistened from the pommel, Gallagher attached it to his belt and began inserting random odds and ends into his pack. Once in a while he'd find a throwing knife, or dagger and slip it into his outfit somewhere, but otherwise, he was set on packing.

Phary laughed aloud when Belle called to her. "That my dear, is absolutely hilarious. Asher, a kept whore? Brilliant.. Freaking brilliant.." She trailed off, stuffing her bedding into a pouch on her saddlebags. "And.. I believe we'll be leaving by morning, Belle." Phary sat back and stretched her arms towards the high ceiling of the Travellers Hall. She was lean and fairly muscular for a young woman such as herself.. The short red bob that framed her face fell back a bi as she yawned and stretched. Her bangs fell in front of her eyes when she bent foreward, like a cat.

"Gallagher, did you hear what Belle said about Asher?" she called to her close friend, who was at the other end of the hall, closer to Asher.

"Yeah, Pha (Pronounced Fay), I did! That's quite a riot!" He smirked as he replied in a happy tone.

Asher caught the bundle of feathers, and smiled. Could always count on Gallagher to make the day a little better.

"Thanks. I really don't like chickens.." Childhood incident. Those creatures were unnerving; like an angry mob gathering, the way they grouped and clucked and progressed forward.

He plucked one of the thin daggers from a hidden tuck-away in his sleeve, and whetted the extra spines off the first feather. He repeated this process until he had a lovely little pile, after which he began to fletch the arrows. He ignored Belle.

Whore?...Pfft. Who's the whore?...

He had to be a little careful with his thoughts, for Belle could read people very well..but still...

Belle shrugged, and continued packing her bags. The silken sacks held quite a lot despite their appearance, for they were enchanted. Enchanted by a wizard right before she killed him off. She chuckled. She preferred night-time for travel, honestly, and wasn't much of a morning person, but majority ruled on this.

"Well I suppose we won't meet as many thieves and whatnot along the way if we go by daylight.."

Asher picked up Belle's bags on his way out, and put them next to their horses. He stroked the neck of his Aurenfae horse and spoke to it softly. It neighed in reply, nuzzling his palm. He flipped his hands, to show the horse he had nothing, but the horse then butted Asher's hip, and made a "Pfff" sound. Asher produced a golden green apple from his pocket, and smirked. He showed it to the horse, then with a flick of his wrist, it was gone again. He the waited, before the horse found the apple, tucked in the hood of his traveling cloak, and let the horse have it.

"Good girl.."

He finished grooming his horse then opened the gate. Unlike the other horses, the Aurenfae horse was probably safer and happier with free space. It was more than capable of defending itself; one didn't "tame" an Aurenfae horse, it chose you or it didn't.

Asher walked back to his room, tugging some hay out of his hair before picking out his clothing and heading to the bathing room. It would be weeks perhaps before they found a good inn. He couldn't stand not bathing that long..

Gallagher watched Asher as he fletched the arrows. Such delicate work coming from a fairly tough looking man.. It was intriguing. "Oh.. Those aren't chicken feathers. I snatched them from the skin of a duck I hunted down last night.. They're said to make for a faster, more even flight." He smiled as he spoke, watching Asher while stuffing random packables into his large bags.

Gallagher followed Asher out, with his own bags, and set them against the post that Maerin, his beautiful ebony stallion, was tied to. Stroking the side of his face, Gallagher cooed to him. "Such a wonderful beast, you are!" he said to Maerin.

Pulling a few carrots out of his pocket, Gallagher chucked one at the back of Asher's head, laughing softly as it made a soft 'bunk!' sound, hitting him. He fed the rest of the carrots to Maerin, then trotted off to his room.

A steaming bath was already prepared, but who by? Slightly confused, Gallagher stripped down and submerged almost all of himself into the water. It was slightly perfumed, but with more of a musky, mannish scent. He enjoyed it, almost more than he would that with a more feminine tinge. He'd never really been that into women anyways. Sighing happily, he began to wash himself with a large spongy cloth that was sitting on the side of the bath.

Phary called out to Gallagher as he left. "Seeya later, Gallehh!" With a smile, she followed them out too, with her bags slung over her shoulders. She had packed fairly lightly, hoping not to weigh down her calico mare, Cheera. "Chee chee, baby, I hope this isn't too much for you!" She said, dropping the bags next to Gallagher's. She giggled, seeing the carrot hit Asher's head, before heading inside again. Sitting down next to Belle, she said softly, "What do you think of what we've been sent to do?" She sighed.

"Honestly, why me?"

Belle shrugged and tilted her head slightly to one side; a habit of hers when she was thinking.

"Not entirely sure, Phary. Either they're really desperate right now, or someone dislikes us very much and hopes for our failure. I really don't know." She somewhat thought it was the second; it would be a lovely way to publicly humiliate and undermine all four of them if they were to fail. Belle had never been good at ass-kissing, and had a very unforgiving nature. As a result, she had quite a few enemies in court and out, who would most likely love to see her hang for many different reasons. However, to do that, they'd have to first see to it that she was out of favor. This was one way to achieve it.

"What's your take on this?.." She asked softly. She had time to chatter, since she knew Asher would take care of travel preparations.

Asher placed his clothes and some towels to the side, near the basin. There were already other things there. He stood for a moment, ass naked, before it registered in his head. Another person took baths at night? He was used to having the whole bathing room to himself.

He blushed, still facing the basin. Then he composed himself and walked gracefully down the steps to the bath. He wasn't going to be scared off, pssh. It was just a bath.

Interesting, someone'd brought a musky, pine-scented bath-tablet with them, it seems. He looked around for the culprit, and found that it was Gallagher. Now he wasn't entirely sure what to make of it.

"..." Gallagher had a sponge. Ah hell...he knew he'd forgotten something on the way down. The sponge.

[ooc:] I need to get some laundry done and then cook dinner of some sort, I still haven't decided what yet. Heh. But I will be back probably later? :) Thanks muchly. Lovely characters btw.

Yawning, Phary leaned back and stretched. "I.. I'm not really sure.. I could see them taking you for your magical expertise, and Gallagher and Asher for their battle smarts.. They're both real good, from what I've seen." She sighed and bit at a lock of hair. "I really don't see why I of all people would be picked, though. I'm not good at much of anything!" She let out an exasperated groan and set her head in her hands. She really didn't understand what set her apart from the rest of the knights of Iseria. She had once had tea with Amaryllis, but she didn't think that that would really affect her being chosen.. Skill was more of a factor here. Maybe it was for her riding..?

Gallagher was slowly and carefully washing his nicely toned skin. He hadn't much body hair at all.. Not many faeries did. The water was a little deeper than waist height for him, and the foam on top concealed his body below that point. He flinched as he heard footsteps and the shuffle of items.

As Gallgher turned around, he blushed massively. Asher, The beautiful man that he was, stood at the basin's entrance. He was completely nude. Grinning devilishly, he went over what could possibly happen here in his mind.

"Care to join me, or are you just going to stand there and look pretty?" Gallagher laughed, and sent a massive splash at Asher.

[[Thanks.. I'm loving your characters as well xD *giggles at Gally and Ashy*]]

Belle nodded, agreeing with most of what Pharys said. However, she shook her head when Pharys became quite modest.

"No, my dear. I'm certain the Queen did not simply place someone good for tea in our group." She chuckled, "Queen Amaryllis may be a touch unwell, but I'm sure she's quite sane. Calvary I believe you were?.."

Belle'd never really acquired much of a taste for riding, but Asher had probably been born doing such. There had been many an evening when she'd watched the knights riding, and if she recalled correctly, Pharys had been amongst them. Nay..not amongst them. That was the incorrect term. Ahead of them.

Asher couldn't help it. He stood with the water up to his waist, and froze, completely taken away by the sight of Gallagher. Oh my.. His eyes followed a droplet of water which formed at the base of Gallagher's neck and trickled slowly down his chest. "He's doing it on purpose!..," Asher thought stupidly about the water drop.

It took him two tries to form a word. Nope, waiting at the basin to regather his thoughts wasn't any use at all.

"I...Gallagher, you don't mind?" He stepped into the hot water, and glided closer to him. He stood up close behind Gallagher, gently took the sponge from the other man, then began rubbing circles of bubbles across Gallagher's back, blushing because he couldn't keep himself from thinking certain thoughts.

"No wonder Pharys keeps you close." He chuckled. His eyes followed his hands down Gallagher's back to his perfectly sculpted backside.

Gallagher blushed a deep scarlet, letting go of the sponge as Asher tugged gently on it. He smiled and shivvered a bit, as the sponge tickled his back.

He cleared his throat, before attempting to speak. "Ah..Heh.. No, of course I don't mind.. You don't think Phary and I are together, do you?" He blushed even more, thankful for the hot steam of the bath. If it hadn't been already steamy-hot, Asher could have probably felt Gallagher's hot face, even from behind. He continued to blush like crazy, due to the thoughts that even he, Gallagher Kyron, found to be extremely un-called-for.

Asher nodded slowly.
"You two aren't?.." He couldn't keep the hopefulness out of his voice. The way Gallagher blushed was so very adorable. Asher brushed a stray strand of hair away from Gallagher's face and watched him, taking in the lovely sight. He began massaging Gallagher's neck and shoulders, trying to ease up the tense muscles. That and it was delightfully fun to place his hands on Gallagher's silky smooth skin. He wasn't sure what he'd gotten himself into, but at the moment, it was wonderful.

"N..No..Of course not..We're just old friends.." Gallagher's voice shook a bit as he spoke. Asher's touch drove him wild.. He flinched at first contact, but afterwards, he relaxed, and let him massage away. Gallagher could feel the tension that had recently built up in his back, neck, and shoulders begin to just float away beneath Asher's long fingers. His touch was gentle, yet thorough and amazing. "M...Mmmhh.. That feels amazing, Asher..." The elated smirk that had begun to spread across his face as Asher entered the basin had set into a look of great pleasure. 'I wonder where he learned to do this so well..,'he thought, another soft sigh passing through his lips.

Asher breathed a sigh of relief upon Gallagher's reply.

"That's good.." He said softly, "I wouldn't want to get you into any sort of trouble."

He placed light kisses along Gallagher's perfect collarbones, then licked a drop of water that'd stayed in the "u" where his collarbones met. He smiled sweetly back at Gallagher, loving the emotions that fluttered across the other man's face. Asher let his hands play across Gallagher's skin, learning the angled planes and delicious muscles. He paused, briefly, when he reached the edge of the water-it hit right above Gallagher's waistline..

He placed a kiss on Gallagher's bellybutton, then grinned, deciding to trace his tongue slowly along the waterline. He found himself curious as to what Gallagher would do. He could hear the sound of bubbles popping and the foam made space. Though he realized that Belle would be most upset with Asher if she knew, he couldn't find enough willpower to simply move himself away from Gallagher. He closed his eyes briefly, taking in the sweet scents of the bath water and Gallagher's skin. He rested his cheek against Gallagher, then sighed.

"Sorry, I shouldn't be bothering you like this.." He said.

Gallgher smiled at Asher, and said at almost a whisper, "Will Belle mind, do you think?" His speaking was slightly punctuated with a soft, pleasured sigh. He caressed Asher's face with his soft, spindly fingers. He slowly ran them through the beautiful man's hair.. One of the most amazing scents Gallgher had ever recieved the honour to be present for wafted faintly from Asher's hair.

As Asher's lips played across his waistline, Gallagher was becoming noticably aroused.. He blushed again, hoping that Ash wouldn't notice, as if he went much lower..It would be pretty apparent. This time, another not-so-suppressed moan slipped between Gallgher's lips, and he shivered, overwhelmed by the sudden emotion he felt for Asher. He'd always seen apart apart from the other men in Iseria. Ash was easily the most attractive, in Gallagher's eyes, at least.

"Y..You think you're bothering me?" He softly spoke, lifting Asher's face to gaze into his eyes.
[[Rawhr.. I don't know what Ash's hair looks like ;_; Also.. How tall is he? I pictured Gallagher as like, 5'9, and Ashy a little taller. Whadda you think?]]

Asher loved the way Gallagher moaned then tried to cover it. It made him smile. But...Gallagher had a very good point. It brought him back to reality in a flash, and he sighed inwardly. The chains of his debt to Belle were never light to begin with, but days like this, they crushed. That and his own dark past made Asher feel quite bad, as if being this close to Gallagher might somehow cause his own sins to leak onto his friend.

"Ah, Gallagher." Asher kissed Gallagher's palm as Gallagher cupped his face gently. "I'm sorry about this. I promise to try to behave myself better in the future."

He wasn't entirely sure he could keep that promise, but he would try. He stood up and pulled Gallagher into a warm embrace, lightly kissing his forehead. It was Asher's job to protect the group. Asher was Belle's knight, and she was his lady. He owed her that, if not much more, for getting him off the streets after...

He shut it out of his mind. It would be better for Gallagher if everything remained simple. Asher would still be there to keep Gallagher safe and well, but.. Gallagher's eyes were disarming, and his lips looked so soft from here. It was hard not to kiss them.

(Hehe, Asher's prolly a hair over 6'0. Golden wavy hair. In this he is probably not super tan due to part fae descent, amber eyes with gold flecks. Normally, dressed in rather drab clothing, he'd just be kind of "oh, not bad." type...but when cleaned up a bit, he's pretty almost. What about Gallagher?)

Somewhere in her room, Belle snuffed out the candle with an elegant silvery device, and tucked herself into bed. She'd left the padding on the floor, for whenever Asher came back. Though she had told him it wasn't necessary within the keep, he'd always insisted on sleeping right across the doorway when they were anywhere but at their estate.

In the back of her mind, she wondered how he'd fare tomorrow. They would have to ride all day and probably into the evening. Kamrydon was quite a distance away, last she recalled, and the Queen had been fading fast.

"I..But.." Gallagher could barely speak, due to the overwhelming sensations flowing through his consciousness. "Ah..If this.. Is misbehaving.." He took a deep breath, steadying his words. "I.. Want you to misbehave more often.." A sly smirk played across Gallagher's face as he spoke softly to Asher.

His hands ran themselves slowly along Asher's rippling muscles as he embraced Gallagher. His right came to a halt at the left side of Asher's neck, the other resting against his chest. As a slightly pained expression came across Asher's face, Gallagher did the first thing that came to mind.. He leaned up and pressed his lips to Asher's, giving him possibly the most gentle, one could almost say loving kiss that anyone had ever received.

Phary yawned heavily and sank back into her bed. Her and Gallagher slept in separate rooms, generally, unless space was tight enough that they had to sleep together. She didn't mind it, but could never think of Gallagher as more than just a friend. She loved him as family, but nothing more.. Unlike what she had seen between Belle and Asher a few years back, Phary and Gallagher were little more than besties, after many years.

She sat up, pinching the flame on the candle, then she blew on her fingers, and fell back in bed. She was exhausted from preparing for the journey the next day, and didn't want to think of too much. Phary gathered the large down comforter around herself, and drifted off into a deep, dreamless slumber.

Asher gasped softly, then returned Gallagher's gentle kiss, exploring Gallagher's luscious, soft mouth. He whispered tender words to Gallagher, and stroked Gallagher's cheek with his fingertips.

"Ah Gallagher, what should I do with you?" He placed light kisses on Gallagher's face, then tilting Gallagher's chin up ever so slightly, he pressed a hot, wet kiss on those perfectly shaped lips, and stroked and teased Gallagher's tongue with his.

"You're quite the seducer, Gallagher.." He said light-heartedly, as he ran his hand along the inside of Gallagher's thigh. He realized then, that this trip would not be so simple. He also realized then, that Gallagher was quite turned on. He grinned, then let his hands explore Gallagher's body, taking his time to enjoy his reactions.

Gallagher moaned, but it wasn't really audible.. It was more felt than heard, due to his lips and tongue being quite occupied at the time with Asher's. His fingers gently traced up and down Asher's back, intermittently using his nails gently.. Never to leave a mark.

"Whatever you de-" 'desire' he said, and then thought, as he was interrupted by another amazing kiss. The water may have been beginning to get a bit less steamy hot, but Gallagher couldn't have felt warmer as he pressed his body against Asher's, their tongues tied in an intimate dance.

He laughed softly. "Me? A seducer? that's you.." He smiled slyly again. Gallagher shuddered as Asher's hand trailed up his inner thigh, then began to blush fiercely as his arousal was noticed. A slightly embarrased, but pleasured smile crossed his face, wondering what Asher's reaction to it would be.. The thoughts running through his head aroused him even more.. Wait, no, that was Asher's hands. "Aahhhnnhh.." was roughly the sound of one of the soft moans that were no longer held back at all. Gallagher was almost completely lost in the moment.. Lost in his desire for Asher.

Gallagher kissed and nibbled at Asher's neck, jawline and lips, his hands making their way lower, now to flutter over Asher's abs, and then along his inner-thighs, teasing him terribly, and then finally between his legs.

[[Hmm.. Gallagher's 5'10, with light, minty-coloured skin. His hair is longish, a little past his shoulders, and deep green (like my avatar's hair colour) He doesn't really dress in any specific style. Casually, if anything. He dresses for the occasion.]]

Asher nibbled down the graceful arch of Gallagher's neck, purring contently. He nuzzled the soft, emerald-green hair and took in Gallagher's sweet scent. Gallagher's fingers left warm trails across Asher's skin, and he loved the way that felt. The way Gallagher pressed back up against him drove Asher wild. The glistening water on Gallagher's pale skin was breathtaking. It looked a bit like the inside of a shell-that beautiful mother-of-pearl color, that looked greenish or perhaps blueish, but was actually so many hues it was impossible to define. Asher was busy admiring Gallagher's beautiful skin, wondering if it was a trick of the light and the water below, or if that was its true hue, when Gallagher's hands slid to his legs. Asher kissed Gallagher passionately as Gallagher's hands slid from his legs and went upwards. Asher moaned into Gallagher's lips as he teased him. Asher whispered and begged for Gallagher to continue, wanting more.

"Gallagher..." He whispered, mirroring Gallagher's hands with his own. He placed one hand behind Gallagher, grabbing Gallagher's perfect backside. He positioned himself between Gallagher's smooth legs, and continued teasing Gallagher in return.

Gallagher enjoyed Asher's quiet pleas. The soft, heated whispers sent chills down Gallagher's spine. He responded by gently sucking Asher's earlobe. The pressure of his touch increased a bit, but his motions remained slow and teasing, rather than continuously pleasuring Asher.

Gallagher moaned, and whispered back, "Asher.." before licking Asher's neck, and then kissing him again. Gallagher radiated with the desire he had for Asher as all his own, and moaned into his lips again as his hands were mimicked by Asher.

Nibbling at Asher's ears and neck, Gallagher murmured softly as he kissed and nipped. He pleaded for more, between the soft gasps and moans that he couldn't hold in.

~*~ Time lapse ~*~
Belle awoke before daylight hit her windowsill. She glanced at the pallet at the door-it was still empty. She sighed, and rinsed her face in the wash bowl. The water was lukewarm. She dried her face off then went over her things again, making sure she packed what she needed and left none of her little vials behind. Who knew when those might come in handy?

Closing the door quietly behind her, she wandered down the stairs towards the kitchen. Hopefully someone was there, but if not, perhaps she could find some bread for their journey.