03-31-2012, 02:15 AM
Dalikan Godford, masked as Aldis Tannen, stands at the forges of Hearthglen, pounding onto metal with his glowing hammer. Strike after strike, thoughts crossed through his mind. These thoughts were many, and they spread across all of his life. From the days of his childhood, calm and peaceful, to the glorious, happy days he held with his wife in his arms, to even the days that brought forward memories of darkness, despair, and the heat of overcoming battle. Suddenly, he found himself stopping his work, and staring at the metals he hammered on. Thoughts crossed from the heat of battle to the most horrifying crime he had ever to commit - the tales of those that did not return.
He put his hammer away with his gear, and cast aside the metals that were worked on. He walked outside and took in a moment of Hearthglen's subtle breeze, and then huffed it out slowly, his single uncovered eye scanning over the nearby inhabitants of the city. He walked forward and moved to a tree, sitting down with his back against it, and laying his head back. His eyes closed, and he fell into a deep sleep.
He awoke to find himself under the covers of a large two-person bed. A hand slowly rose to feel his face, and he felt his beard once more, and reached to his shoulder, where he felt his braided hair. Dalikan sighed softly, looking down at the seams of his night clothing, simple, loose, and white. He then smiled as he realized his left hand was off to the side... And his left elbow rested under something warm. His smile grew as his head turned to look at the figure who's head rested over his arm. Upon his arm rested the smiling face of she who was dear to him.
"Selena..." Dalikan said silently to himself, and leaned forward to rest a kiss upon her tan-skinned brow. Selena barely stirred at the kiss, and her velvet green eyes were revealed when her eyelids slowly blinked open, a smile spreading across the woman's face as she looked into Dalikan's eyes, and her black bangs falling into her face.
"How did you sleep?" He asked silently, looking above her head, and to the opening of the balcony for their room, the sun's light shining through even their heavy curtains, the breeze slowly whipping away at the sheets of cloth.
Selena spoke with a soft voice, peering into his eyes. "I slept well... And you?"
Dalikan looked up to the ceiling, where a simple glass chandelier hung from the wooden supports. "I've missed you..."
Selena blinked a moment, then smiled. "I've never been away from you, Dalikan... I never will be." Her hand reached for Dalikan's torso, and the soft touch of her skin felt real to the man.
Dalikan swallowed lightly, and reached up with his right hand, gripping Selena's hand silently. "Why does this feel so weird... It's just so... So real... Did I pass on after a night of smithing?"
Selena giggled lightly. "No, silly... You aren't dead... You're just... Not occupied with anything but your memories..."
Dalikan chuckled heartily, looking over at his love once more. "I feel so alone without you, Selena..." He said with a small frown encroaching on his lips.
Selena pushed the covers away, and reached up to play with the man's beard, and then his braids. "Well, I'll tell you what I told you the last time...."
"I'll always be with you." Dalikan finished for her, his mouth forming into a smirk.
Selena moved forward and placed a kiss on his cheek. "You're learning." She giggled softly, moving to stand off from the bed. Dalikan soon followed, and they both undressed and got into their daily sets of clothes. For Dalikan, a simple suit of under-armor for his guard-work later in the day, and for Selena, a finely woven white gown that fell to the floor just barely. Dalikan then moved towards the balcony, and slid the curtains aside. He looked out onto the streets of the daytime Lordaeron City.
He turned at the cries of two little girls, as his two daughters ran into the room. One stood taller and older than the other, but neither of them could be over five years old. Dalikan's daughters ran forward into their father's arms, and he held the two giggling little girls high above the floor, spinning around the room with them. Selena stood near the balcony entrance, leaning on the stone and smirking softly at the display. Dalikan lowered himself and laid his daughters back onto the floor. "I love you, my daughters." He said, bringing them close for a soft embrace.
They both smiled and returned the embrace, and their sweet voices answered in almost perfect unison; "I love you too, papa..."
Dalikan stood with a smile on his face and stepped out onto the balcony. While his daughters ran out of the room and began to play, giggling throughout the home, Selena still leaned against the edge of the doorway. "Have you ever forgotten me, Dalikan? Have you ever forgotten those that did not return?"
Dalikan looked back at his wife, and frowned lightly. "I wish I could say no..." He said, looking down at the ground.
"Then remember them... Every one of them..." Selena's soft voice whispered to him.
Dalikan snapped from his dream, and looked around, back in Hearthglen, back against a tree with rain drizzling onto his face. He took a deep breath, peering around the town for but a moment before pushing himself to a stand. He walked towards the forge, re-armored himself, and mounted his horse. He took one last look around the city before riding off through the city gates.
He put his hammer away with his gear, and cast aside the metals that were worked on. He walked outside and took in a moment of Hearthglen's subtle breeze, and then huffed it out slowly, his single uncovered eye scanning over the nearby inhabitants of the city. He walked forward and moved to a tree, sitting down with his back against it, and laying his head back. His eyes closed, and he fell into a deep sleep.
He awoke to find himself under the covers of a large two-person bed. A hand slowly rose to feel his face, and he felt his beard once more, and reached to his shoulder, where he felt his braided hair. Dalikan sighed softly, looking down at the seams of his night clothing, simple, loose, and white. He then smiled as he realized his left hand was off to the side... And his left elbow rested under something warm. His smile grew as his head turned to look at the figure who's head rested over his arm. Upon his arm rested the smiling face of she who was dear to him.
"Selena..." Dalikan said silently to himself, and leaned forward to rest a kiss upon her tan-skinned brow. Selena barely stirred at the kiss, and her velvet green eyes were revealed when her eyelids slowly blinked open, a smile spreading across the woman's face as she looked into Dalikan's eyes, and her black bangs falling into her face.
"How did you sleep?" He asked silently, looking above her head, and to the opening of the balcony for their room, the sun's light shining through even their heavy curtains, the breeze slowly whipping away at the sheets of cloth.
Selena spoke with a soft voice, peering into his eyes. "I slept well... And you?"
Dalikan looked up to the ceiling, where a simple glass chandelier hung from the wooden supports. "I've missed you..."
Selena blinked a moment, then smiled. "I've never been away from you, Dalikan... I never will be." Her hand reached for Dalikan's torso, and the soft touch of her skin felt real to the man.
Dalikan swallowed lightly, and reached up with his right hand, gripping Selena's hand silently. "Why does this feel so weird... It's just so... So real... Did I pass on after a night of smithing?"
Selena giggled lightly. "No, silly... You aren't dead... You're just... Not occupied with anything but your memories..."
Dalikan chuckled heartily, looking over at his love once more. "I feel so alone without you, Selena..." He said with a small frown encroaching on his lips.
Selena pushed the covers away, and reached up to play with the man's beard, and then his braids. "Well, I'll tell you what I told you the last time...."
"I'll always be with you." Dalikan finished for her, his mouth forming into a smirk.
Selena moved forward and placed a kiss on his cheek. "You're learning." She giggled softly, moving to stand off from the bed. Dalikan soon followed, and they both undressed and got into their daily sets of clothes. For Dalikan, a simple suit of under-armor for his guard-work later in the day, and for Selena, a finely woven white gown that fell to the floor just barely. Dalikan then moved towards the balcony, and slid the curtains aside. He looked out onto the streets of the daytime Lordaeron City.
He turned at the cries of two little girls, as his two daughters ran into the room. One stood taller and older than the other, but neither of them could be over five years old. Dalikan's daughters ran forward into their father's arms, and he held the two giggling little girls high above the floor, spinning around the room with them. Selena stood near the balcony entrance, leaning on the stone and smirking softly at the display. Dalikan lowered himself and laid his daughters back onto the floor. "I love you, my daughters." He said, bringing them close for a soft embrace.
They both smiled and returned the embrace, and their sweet voices answered in almost perfect unison; "I love you too, papa..."
Dalikan stood with a smile on his face and stepped out onto the balcony. While his daughters ran out of the room and began to play, giggling throughout the home, Selena still leaned against the edge of the doorway. "Have you ever forgotten me, Dalikan? Have you ever forgotten those that did not return?"
Dalikan looked back at his wife, and frowned lightly. "I wish I could say no..." He said, looking down at the ground.
"Then remember them... Every one of them..." Selena's soft voice whispered to him.
Dalikan snapped from his dream, and looked around, back in Hearthglen, back against a tree with rain drizzling onto his face. He took a deep breath, peering around the town for but a moment before pushing himself to a stand. He walked towards the forge, re-armored himself, and mounted his horse. He took one last look around the city before riding off through the city gates.