A Simple Wager

Theodred was not only a faster rider, he was a more skilled and braver one to. The chase down the riverside left Elisa far behind. He won the bet but as he waited for her, his pale chestnut gelding named Adobe, he pulled at his lip trying to figure out what he could get from her. She splashed up to him then slowed when she got closer. On her horse, with the sun at her back he thought Elisa quite beautiful. He loved her wavy hair and how bright her eyes got sometimes when he’d catch her looking at him. Her father was one of the best Blacksmith’s in Edoras and he and Elisa had been friends for years and years.

Theodred was always a tall, strong, attractive boy who had no idea that the girls mooned over him or thought him terribly handsome. He wasn’t overly intelligent, he was terrible at stones, he always tried to pause to think before he acted. Quite often hasty actions had gotten him into trouble. Elisa was always tricking him into doing things for her that got him a switching or chastised for doing something he should not. He had learned long ago that she possessed a quick wit and would not hesitate to turn him to her ideals or get him to do something that he would not normally do just because she wanted him to. Today the stakes for their race along the river was conveniently ‘open-ended’. Which meant that somehow he’d make his price something that she wanted to do anyway but he couldn’t figure out exactly how yet. Deftly she moved her animal closer to him and sighed as if she were exasperated at the loss of the bet.

Today she wore a tan-colored blouse under a dark brown wool corset and riding skirts. On her wrist she wore a carved, ivory bracelet that he had carved from one of the tusks of one of the dead Oliphants that had fought for the Harada during the war of the ring. The band was fairly thick with horses that appeared to be running all around it carved through the middle. It has taken him several weeks to do it but she was his friend and he wanted to do something special for her 18th birthday. As far as anyone knew it was the only piece of jewelry of its kind anywhere. When he gave it to her she had kissed him...deeply and it was that kiss that he thought of now as she glided up close to him.

Elisa was the only child of Rowan, Edora's best blacksmith. She had been born in the dead of winter. Her mother had been sick at the time of her birth and the labor and birthing had proved to be too much and she had died less than a day later. Rowan had never re-married and from a young age Elisa learned to take care of the house, cook, and tend the animals and the garden. When she was old enough he began to teach her some blacksmithing skills so she could help him. When she was 15 she had burned her right hand badly and still had a scar on her palm. Elisa was beautiful...but it was not an overwhelming beauty. She had light blue eyes and long, light brown hair wavy hair that reached the lower part of her back. It was thick and would wave behind her as she rode her horse.

Elisa had first met Theodred when they were children. Her father made horse shoes and swords for the king and soldiers and often the king would come to his shop and would sometimes bring Theodred with him. The two had become friends, although as they got older and took on more responsibilities their ability to spend time together became less and less. Today was one of those rare days when her father didn't need her help and she had gotten all of her chores done early so she was able to go out for a ride with Theodred.

Theodred had wanted to race and she had accepted the challenge, though she doubted she would be able to beat him. She rode her black mare named Night Star, whose coat was so black it showed up as blue in some lights. Like her rider, she had a long, flowing mane and tail. Night Star was fast, but Theodred was always faster. She slowed her horse as she neared Theodred who was waiting by the river. He had a smug, almost gloating look on his face that made her laugh a little.

"Alright," she said as she eased Night Star to a full stop next to him. "You won. What do you want as your prize?"

Theodred dismounted Sunchaser, “I’ll have to think on it...I doubt you’d do what I had first thought of so I will think on something else,” he said as he smiled. He took Sundancer’s reins s he turned him around so he could steady her stirrup so she could dismount more easily. He had to hold his hand up to shield his eyes from the sun as he looked for her expression. In the sun like she was he thought her lovely on her black horse.

Elisa allowed Theodred to help her dismount and she pulled the reins over Night Star's head so she could more easily lead her. She brushed a few pieces of hair back from her face and smiled at him.

"No...what was it? You can't just say that and then not tell me."

And once again he should have kept his mouth shut. Sundancer frisked as she brought her mare along side him. “Well, I was going to ask for you to show me your breasts but I thought that maybe that was a bit much,” he added and more then a bit of color stained his cheeks. He saw she wore the bracelet he made for her. “You know, you don’t have to wear that if you don’t like it,” he said, hopefully to change the subject. He did want to see her breasts. Sometimes he laid awake at night thinking impure thoughts about her though he knew he shouldn’t. She was his best friend after all. Someone he never had to guess or wonder if she’d back him up or not. She was always there in his thoughts especially sometimes after...he had no idea how, hey ended up kissing one another.

Elisa blushed when he told her that he had wanted to ask her to show him her breasts. Elisa and Theodred had kissed, rather deeply, several times. They had never gone any further than that and had never talked about those kisses. Elisa's feelings for Theodred ran deep but she knew in her heart that they could not be together. He was the prince of Rohan and she was the blacksmith's daughter...a commoner who's most precious possession was the bracelet he had made for her. She looked down at it when Theodred changed the subject and she lightly ran her fingers over it in a gentle, almost loving manner.

"I love this bracelet Theodred. It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen and...you made it for me. I want to wear it...I never want to take it off."

They had come to a nice, clear spot free of too many stones so he turned his horse, whistled then gestured for him to drink. Sunchaser did and as he drank from the river he removed the rolled, brown blanket from the back of his saddle. As Elisa led her horse to get a drink he laid out the blanket for them to lay back upon. “There’s some sweet flatbread and a skin of white wine in my saddle bag,” he told her as he finished with the blanket then sat down to take off his boots. The sand was cool and moist and he wanted to feel it on his feet.

Elisa also led her horse down to drink and then, while Theodred laid out a blanket, she found the flatbread and wine skin in his saddle bag. She sat down beside him and also took off her boots. She then broke off a piece of the flatbread and ate it before laying back on the blanket. It was a beautiful, clear summer day and there was a light breeze.

Theodred laid back as well and accepted a piece of flatbread from her. However when he tried to take it she kept raising it away. Finally she broke off a piece then teased him as she turned on her side to feed it to him. He laughed which made eating difficult. She laughed to as she chewed. “I think you enjoy sporting with me...that's what it is,” he said in a jovial tone. The soft, wet sand felt wonderful on his toes and he turned on his side to face her. He popped the cork on the wine with his teeth then took a long drink from it. “Mm mm,” was all he said as he handed it to her. As she took a drink he tickled her suddenly and wine went down her short. He laughed and laid back again and took another bite of flatbread.

Elisa was surprised when Theodred suddenly tickled her as she was taking a drink of the wine. She laughed and it spilled down her shirt. She shook her head as she put down the wine skin. She reached for another piece of flatbread, but Theodred suddenly moved it away from her. She laughed and tried to get it from him and in the process she ended up partially on top of him with her face very close to his. They looked at each other for half a moment before they suddenly began to kiss. Like every other kiss they had shared, it was deep and had a bit of passion behind it.

He loved Elisa’s kisses as he loved Elisa. It was just something he knew like he knew water was wet. He tasted her tongue, the sweet taste of the wine that mixed with the honey from the bread and her own unique taste. Softly he kneaded the corners of her lips then he took up her entire mouth. He loved the little noises she made when he was doing it right. That and she was now completely on top of him, her hands cupping his face. Under her she would feel his hardness against her. He held her from the sides and it was clear she was in complete control of what was happening at the moment. Something he didn’t mind at all, especially now.

Elisa's heart and mind battled against one another as the kiss continued. Everything about it felt...right and yet in her mind she knew that she shouldn't be doing this. She was trembling slightly against him as she ended up fully on top of him. She wanted him...she wanted him more badly than she had ever wanted anything in her entire life. She felt like her heart was going to burst...But then she suddenly pulled back and felt tears come to her eyes as she looked at him.

"I...I can't do this...I need to go..." she said as she quickly got up. She grabbed her boots and began to put them on as a few tears slipped down her cheeks. She couldn't bring herself to look at him.

She felt so wonderful where she was and he felt her begin to tremble. But when he was about to lower his hands she lifted up then shifted away. He was completely confused by her words and he grabbed her boot away from her and his brow couldn’t help but furl in hurt and confusion. “Elisa...why are you upset? Did I do something wrong?” He asked and she tried to snatch the boot from him but he jerked it back. “Are you crying! Why are you crying!” He asked in obvious surprise.

Elisa tried to grab her other boot, but Theodred kept it out of her reach. She couldn't stop the tears that were now freely streaming down her cheeks.

"Because I'm in love with you! My heart is breaking right now because I know that I could never be with you. You are a prince and I am nothing but the daughter of a blacksmith who has to sew up holes in socks because she can't afford to buy the material to make new ones."

He felt his mouth gape at her words but it was her tears that truly struck him. “Come here Elisa,” he said and he held his arms out to her. At first he wasn't sure if she would but in an instant she scrambled into his lap and he hugged her to his chest. “Elisa…” He said softly and smiled. He knew there was love between them but she had never said it out like that. “Do you honestly think that I don’t love you to? I know my father has ideals about nobles marrying nobles but he can’t choose who I choose to love,” he said confidently as he stroked her hair.

Elisa's mind told her no, but before she realized it she was in his arms. They felt so good around her. She felt safe and secure in them. She closed her eyes and breathed in his scent. When he told her that he loved her too she felt new tears come to her eyes. She looked at him.

"But Theodred I'm not good enough for you. My hands are rough and calloused from working and I have marks and scars all over my body...like this one..." she said as she turned over her right hand to expose the scar that was there from the burn she had received three years prior.

Theodred sighed. And he took her hand in his then kissed her scarred palm. He saw her eyes close a moment. “Elisa… “ now this was one of those moments he felt he needed to think. If he said the wrong thing he would hurt her feelings and considering how bad she already felt he definitely did not want to do that. He wiped a few tears from her cheeks. “I think you're beautiful...so I don’t know why you’re trying to make yourself out to not be. I think about you all the time. Sometimes it's just about what we last said to one another. Sometimes it's...it’s me wondering what you look like without any clothes on. I mean…in my dreams...I mean,” his cheeks began to flush l. “ I mean…” He began to get flustered. “Oh I don’t know what I mean, but it's enough to get my ears boxed anyways,” he said.

Elisa still looked unsure. She looked at him and sighed.

"I still don't think your father would approve of me and my father relies on business from him. Without that he would have nothing. I...I couldn't do that to him..."

Theodred let her go so she could settle but he just shook his head ot her words and his face took on a more disappointed look. “I think you are trying to make it easier for yourself. If you can just pull away from me you won’t have to carry the feelings you have for me. I don’t think this has anything to do with my father or your father at all,” he said as he settled back on his arms. “You know my mother...if I went today and told her that I love you and…” He had to clear his throat. “And wanted to marry you it would be done,” and he raised up quickly. “But...to clarify that, I’m not sure I’m ready to get married though…” He told her quickly and waggled a finger at her. “So you needn’t think it Elisa!” He added.

Elisa looked sharply over at Theodred when he suddenly mentioned marrying her. However, he quickly added that he wasn't ready to get married yet. She wasn't quite sure what to say so she remained quiet for a long time just thinking about everything.

"I wish I had gotten to know my mother," she said after a moment. "My father never even talks about her. All I really know about her is that her name was Vera and that she died less than a day after I was born."

OOC-I am off today, but I am going to be running around getting ready for my trip to NY. I leave tomorrow morning and will be back on Monday evening. I'm not taking my laptop, but I might be able to reply in the evenings and possibly in the mornings on my phone.

ooc: No worries, I would rather you not worry about looking at your phone when in a city like NY. So if it helps you more, we can just suspend things until you get back? The RP will always be here and I don't want you to think you need to post. Also, I hope you enjoy your trip!

OOC-yea, that might be a good idea. I get back really late on Monday and I'm taking Tuesday off so I will start a new thread then.

ooc: Well, i will respond in this one Monday evening then. Maybe we can squeeze some more communication out of it before we move on.

Sure. I can post today.

ooc: ok, then, when I am able I will hit you with a few before you fly away from me.