The sun was high and the once moist earth was now cracked and blistered from drying. Bastien's eyes hurt from staring up, but staring down the road after his lost quarry was more bleak. His head still throbbed from the blow he took from his own helmet and he thought he could feel the skin on his nose peeling from over exposure. In short, he wasn't doing well at all.
Tied to a tall tree trunk on the outskirts of the Great Forest, Sir Bastien was trapped and at the mercy of the elements. His horse had wandered off, not that it would be much help to him now anyway. He was bound so tight he could barely move his arms.
Tied to a tall tree trunk on the outskirts of the Great Forest, Sir Bastien was trapped and at the mercy of the elements. His horse had wandered off, not that it would be much help to him now anyway. He was bound so tight he could barely move his arms.
Ysolde was wandering as she usually did when she saw something odd in the distance. She got closer out of view and a smile touched her lips. This was something that looked like it would be great fun. Bastien would hear a noise off to the left and when he turned his head to look nothing would be there.
When his gaze moved back forward, Ysolde was standing in front of him. She was wearing a knee length skirt with slits in the side all the way up to her waist. She had on a corset that pushed up her already ample bosom along with a pair of pauldrons made of shiny green and black feathers, that a short dark cape with a hood was attached to. She was wearing a pair of black gauntlet gloves and her hair was braided and up in a bun, exposing her slightly pointed ears. She was leaning against a black staff made of odd wood that was etched with strange looking runes.
"Well well...what have we here?" A smile touched her full pink lips and she took a few steps closer, swaying her hips as she walked and she looked him up and down as if he were a tasty treat she couldn't wait to devour.
When his gaze moved back forward, Ysolde was standing in front of him. She was wearing a knee length skirt with slits in the side all the way up to her waist. She had on a corset that pushed up her already ample bosom along with a pair of pauldrons made of shiny green and black feathers, that a short dark cape with a hood was attached to. She was wearing a pair of black gauntlet gloves and her hair was braided and up in a bun, exposing her slightly pointed ears. She was leaning against a black staff made of odd wood that was etched with strange looking runes.
"Well well...what have we here?" A smile touched her full pink lips and she took a few steps closer, swaying her hips as she walked and she looked him up and down as if he were a tasty treat she couldn't wait to devour.
Bastien heard the noise, but he was slow to react. Dehydration and hunger had taken his wits more than he cared to admit. A woman appeared before him and he flinched, blinking. His eyes took a moment to focus and in that time he only caught the color of her hair and his heart rejoiced. "Lady Aurelia, you've come back. I knew you weren't willingly running off with that knave! The counsel at Greyhawk will be..."
Isolde spoke and his vision swam a moment more before it became perfectly clear this was not his charge. Bastien visibly wilted, his full plate mail armor clanging as he slumped forward. "You are not her. She truly left me here to die in the sun like some dog. What am I to do now? I cannot return home..." Bastien seemed to be talking to himself now.
Isolde spoke and his vision swam a moment more before it became perfectly clear this was not his charge. Bastien visibly wilted, his full plate mail armor clanging as he slumped forward. "You are not her. She truly left me here to die in the sun like some dog. What am I to do now? I cannot return home..." Bastien seemed to be talking to himself now.
Ysolde crept a little closer, "Hm...this Lady Aurelia you speak of certainly hasn't taken very good care of you dearling." She was close enough now to touch him, "Let's get you untied." She flicked her hand and the ropes loosened immediately and fell away from him. She expected him to fall and she reached to brace him. She was much stronger than she looked and she settled him down on the ground with little effort.
"Well...what should I do with you then?" She tapped her lips with a finger, "You're too much of a mess to have my way with..." She was ignoring his words as much as he had hers.
"Well...what should I do with you then?" She tapped her lips with a finger, "You're too much of a mess to have my way with..." She was ignoring his words as much as he had hers.
Bastien was big man and covered in a shell of bright blue armor. When he pitched forward, Ysolde might have to take a step to brace him properly. The way the ropes fell off had not escaped his notice and his slowed brain was trying to put the pieces together. Bastien grunted and tried to push away from her. "Unhand me, woman. I am a knight of Greyhawk!"
He threw the title around like it should have some lofty meaning to her, but he flopped into a heap of himself once she settled him. Her words were met with a disgusted expression. "You will not do a thing with me, loose woman. You have freed me and for that I must offer my thanks, but do not presume I am going to allow you to handle me further!"
He threw the title around like it should have some lofty meaning to her, but he flopped into a heap of himself once she settled him. Her words were met with a disgusted expression. "You will not do a thing with me, loose woman. You have freed me and for that I must offer my thanks, but do not presume I am going to allow you to handle me further!"
"Ohh my. A knight from Greyhawk." The words were sarcastic and she rolled her eyes. His further spewing made her giggle. "Oh my, seems I landed myself a virgin." She crouched down in front of him, "I dare say you're in no condition to be making demands sir knight."
Bastien drew himself up and tried to get to his feet. He was a young man with an old man's attitude it seemed as he got flustered at her words. His cheeks got redder than they already were and he sputtered a moment. "I don't see how that is any of your business, woman! Spare me any of your further impure thoughts." She was crouching before him and he set his jaw defiantly as he couldn't quite get to his feet.
"Oh goodness...look how red your cheeks get..." She reached out to poke one of them, "That's not all from sunburn." She covered her mouth and widened her eyes in a mock display of surprise, "Impure thoughts? Is that the best you can do sir knight?" She stayed crouched in front of him, "Too proud to ask for help?" She flashed him a grin that said she knew she was pushing his buttons on purpose.
Bastien flinched as she touched his sun kissed cheek. "Do not lay your fingers on me, woman." He rolled his eyes at her mockery and tried again to stand. His body was just not ready yet. "I do not need help just... rest." He finished his sentence lamely because it was more than obvious that he did need help.
"I would have thought you would have had enough resting tied up to that tree." She gestured to it, "Shall I put you back sir knight? You seem entirely ungrateful. Is that what you knights stand for? I thought you were supposed to be courteous to ladies. Especially lady rescuers." She was still messing with him, because she just couldn't help herself.
Bastien's cheeks darkened even more. Ysolde was right! He cleared his throat. "I apologize lady. You have correct. I owe you more courtesy than this." He looked loathe to actually be nicer, but the code... "Forgive me for forgetting my manners." He bowed his head at the woman. "May I know your name?"
Ysolde stared at him, and then started laughing. "You're so funny! What a proper little knight." She looked him over, "You may call me Ysolde." She didn't say if it was her name or not though. "Shall I just continue calling you sir knight?" She ran her hand over her staff, and pretended to think a moment. "Would you like to be healed? I could do so...for a price."
"Sir Bastien," He offered. His look was wary as he took her in. "I do not need your magic, miss Ysolde. I shall bear my injuries on my own." It was clear that he was distrustful of magic.
Ysolde looked at him and arched a brow, "You can barely walk. Just how far do you think you're going to get without me healing you?" She pursed her lips, "And you haven't even asked what I want in return yet!"
Ysolde had him right back to being flustered. "I will be fine in some... time..." As for what she wanted in return, he flushed darker still. He could only guess what she might want based on the things she'd said just far! "I do not have anything to give you, madame. I am devoid of coin."
"You will not make it out of these woods alive without my help." She shook her head, "Whatever makes you think I want coin? I want something far more...personal. How about your first born child?" She was straight faced and appeared to be serious.
Bastien lifted his set jaw, ready to argue with her... but he had no foot to stand on. Literally at the moment. Of course she didn't want coin and that disturbed him enough yet the next part had him making a disgusted face. "Never! What a foul thing to ask for! Be gone with you mage!"
Ysolde burst into laughter, "Oh my stars, your face!" She laughed so hard she had tears. "Just what exactly do you think I would do with a babe you daft man? Might hinder travel just a bit don't you think?" She wiped at her eyes, "I don't want a child. Or coin. There are other...favors you could trade though, hm?"
Bastien's face was all the red that it could be. She was laughing in his face and he didn't appreciate it one bit! "It's a foul thing to jest over, ma'am." He felt stupid for believing her but he would have felt even more stupid if she had been serious and he agreed to it. "I cannot offer you much as you can easily see the state I am in." He didn't want to admit it, but she was right.
Ysolde waved a hand at him, "Oh please. You're just mad because you fell for it." She looked him over, "I'll heal you up first. Obviously." She held out her hand, "So what do you say Sir Knight...do we have a deal?"
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