Nymph of the Mountains

Darcy Ravenswood Eva Murdoch / 26 / Bandit Heiress / D I O N E

[rain-bringingdarcy-blog]

His lips pulled into a wolfish grin when he hears her scoff, and it only grows when she looked away from him. But the more he thought, the more curious he grew. Why would she claim that she wasn’t a lady? The look that crosses her face only confirms what he knew, that there was more to her than being a simple bandit.

Aaric somehow felt that Darcy hadn’t been completely honest with him from their first meeting. Then again, he hadn’t been truthful with her. Whatever information he managed to squeeze from her would stay only with him. “Is something wrong, Darcy? You look as though something is troubling you.”

Darcy knew her situation with the man would lead to this sooner or later. She hoped for the latter as she still wasn’t too comfortable of spilling out her secret. Being a bandit was against the law, but being a respectable lady on the run from an arranged marriage while doing banditry was another thing entirely. For some wild and strange reason, she felt like she could trust Aaric and it both made her heart sing and sink to her heels. That feeling of familiarity and normalcy around him, an air of relaxation, made her sigh as the decision was made.

“I thought I controlled myself better.” She softly said, mostly to herself, before she drew in another breath and began her tale. “My name is not Darcy, not really. I -- am running way from my duties as a porcelain doll and a breeding mare. My parents arranged a marriage for me and I could no longer idly stand by, letting people take care of my life.” She quickly spoke, her head bowed through her tale, but then she lifted it up as she glanced up at Aaric, a silent plea in her eyes.

“I can’t go back. They are looking for me, but I can’t go back. Ever. I changed my name and traded silk gowns for leather pants. But, if they find me...” Darcy trailed off. She didn’t even dare to think about it.

[rain-bringingdarcy-blog]

“Granted I believe these men make a habit out of drinking where I do not. Honestly this is the most I have had in……well….here I guess at all. Other places maybe more. It’s hard to remember what happened hundreds of years ago.” she said taking another sip of her drink. “It’s broken.” she said in response to her question. She tapped her temple, “It’s always been broken and it is getting worse.”

Darcy frowned in confusion. The girl suddenly didn’t make much sense, but the feeling of dread, of something -- real washing over Darcy ushered her to continue the conversation. “Broken? I am afraid I don’t understand what you mean by it.”

[onceuponatime-fairytales]

[whisperastory]

The Hyades

In Greek mythology, the Hyades (Ancient Greek: Ὑάδες, popularly “the rainy ones) are a sisterhood of nymphs that bring rain.

The Hyades were daughters of Atlas and sisters of Hyas in most tellings. The Hyades are sisters to the Pleiades and the Hesperides.

The main myth concerning them is envisioned to account for their collective name and to provide an etiology for their weepy raininess: Hyas was killed in a hunting accident and the Hyades wept from their grief. They were later changed into a cluster of stars, the Hyades, set in the head of Taurus.

The Greeks believed that the heliacal rising and setting of the Hyades star cluster were always attended with rain, hence the association of the Hyades (sisters of Hyas) and the Hyades (daughters of ocean) with the constellation of the Hyades (rainy ones).

The Hyades are also thought to have been the tutors of Dionysus, in some tellings of the latter’s infancy,and as such are equated with the Nysiads, the nymphs who are also believed to have cared for Dionysus, as well as with other reputed nurses of the god — the Lamides, the Dodonides, and the nymphs of Naxos. Some sources relate that they were subject to aging, but Dionysus, to express his gratitude for having raised him, asked Medea to restore their youth.

[rain-bringingdarcy-blog]

“If you really insist.” Elysa sighed, before smiling and extending her hand. “I’m glad to hear that. I’m Elysa.”

“Darcy.” She replied, shaking her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

[rain-bringingdarcy-blog]

He was surprised at her words, but couldn’t bite back the laugh that escaped his lips. Aaric wasn’t worried about encountering another in the woods, and had no problem handling them if it came to that. “It sounds as though you are the worried one now.” A mischievous smile spread across his face. “We will just have to protect each other then.”

With the moonlight filtering through the tree, it became easier to see once they arrived at the stream. He didn’t want her to truly see how much blood had been covering his clothes, and without much more thought, Aaric pulled the shirt over his head to clean in the water.

“Forgive my manners, Lady Darcy. It is not…polite to disrobe in front of a lady like this.”

---

“Well, how honorable would it be of me to let a lord die on my watch? No, we can’t let that happen.” She chuckled in reply and nodded. “Yes, it appears we will have to do just that.” She softly spoke as they neared the river, her eyes on alert and scanning the area carefully, to make sure they are undisturbed by anyone or anything.

Darcy was slightly taken aback by his nonchalant disrobing and she averted her eyes towards the moon, to give him privacy. Scoffing at his apology, she smirked.  “I am not a lady so there really is no need to apologize.” That was partially true, however. She was no longer a lady in her eyes, but to her country... She still was. She only hoped her family wouldn’t find her and she couldn’t control the worried look which flashed through her face. 

[rain-bringingdarcy-blog]

“I mean if we are judging by the amount of drinks then there are far more gentlemen in this Inn who’ve had far more than me. Maybe something is wrong with them! Or all of us. Might be all of us.” she shrugged. “And I am never as well as I’d like to be.” she laughed.

Darcy had to chuckle at the chatty girl in front of her. “You have a point there, I have to admit.” She chuckled again. “Why are you unwell?” Darcy asked, a sympathetic smile on her face.

[rain-bringingdarcy-blog]

“I can’t allow you that!” Elysa protested. “I did say it’s on the house.” She pouted, before a smile appeared on her face. “I am glad you like it.”

“Alright, alright, thank you. But, then at least let me buy you one in return.” Darcy insisted. “I do, it is one of the best I’ve tried, really.”

[daughter-oftheunderworld]

“You would be surprised. Warn chocolate with cinnamon does wonders to one’s mood. Here, have this one on the house and tell me if it helped.” Elysa smiled gently to the person sitting in front of her, by the bar.

[rain-bringingdarcy-blog]

“Thank you, but I insist on paying.” Darcy accepted the chocolate drink, taking a careful sip. “One of the best I’ve ever tried.” She added after a moment.

[rain-bringingdarcy-blog]

When she offers to help, his brows rise high in surprise. Aaric found it slightly odd that anyone would help another who had been stumbling through the woods covered in blood, but it causes his lips to twitch into a sneaking smirk. She was kind enough, one could believe that she was harmless. But he knew better, he’d seen with his own eyes what she was capable of doing, and it was something that he’d kept in mind since the day he’d happened upon the woman robbing a caravan.

“A wolf, yes, perhaps. There was practically nothing left of the poor beast.” It wasn’t a beast that had been drained of life, but there would be nothing for her to find. After a moment of pondering, he took a couple of steps toward Darcy, pushing a convincing smile onto his face. “If you wouldn’t mind accompanying me to that stream, I would appreciate it. It’s rather dark and I do not wish to get lost again.”

Darcy nodded, her lips twitching in the corner as she tried hard to bite back the comment. But, alas, she was not quite skilled in resisting. “Is that fear I hear in you voice, my lord? Worry not, I shall protect you.” She gently teased, part of her wishing she didn’t make that comment, but she simply couldn’t resist it.

“The stream is just a few minutes walk from here.” She softly added and gripped her bow tighter, her eyes scanning the area. “We should be careful however. I am not the only bandit in these woods.” She warned him.

[rain-bringingdarcy-blog]

“It is unnecessary. What difference does marriage make if you truly love the person?” she asked skeptically. “If you love someone, you should be allowed just to be together without all the ceremony and oaths. It should not be as obligatory as it is now.” Antonia laughed slightly at the woman’s words. “Everyone says that but love has a way of sneaking into our lives whether we want it or not. Just know you should not feel obligated to marry.”

“I don’t feel obliged to marry. I left my family because they wanted me to marry someone I absolutely despised.” Darcy nonchalantly shrugged, but internally she cursed herself for revealing that bit of her past. “Perhaps you are right.” She replied with a gentle smile.

[rain-bringingdarcy-blog]

Aaric had felt his fingers twitch at his side, curling slightly when an arrow was aimed at him. And if the woman hadn’t lowered it so soon after, he might have found himself lunging forward in a blind rage, harming yet another person. When he saw that it was her, he’s unable to move for what felt like forever.

It’s when she’s moving toward him slowly that he snaps back to reality, and takes a few steps of his own backward. “You shouldn’t come near me,” his voice is low, almost hoarse. And for a moment, Aaric doesn’t feel like himself. Everything before him seemed all too familiar, and it bothered him.

“I…I am fine.” He knew that he couldn’t allow her to know what he’d done, but that didn’t mean he intended to harm Darcy. He was a liar, a cold and calculating liar, someone who would do anything it took to get what he wanted. Aaric wanted her to remain in his life, for more reasons than he even knew, and he would lie to keep her there. “Something spooked my horse. By the time I found the animal, there was nothing I could do to save him.”

Darcy frowned sympathetically, a wave of relief washing over her. She knew she shouldn’t be that content that he’s safe; she didn’t even know him, for crying out loud. Yes, they encountered and talked on a couple of occasions, but that was about it. He should not have that big an impact on her -- especially haunting her dreams, when she wouldn’t see him for an elongated period.

“Well, I -- I think it could have been a wolf or a mountain lion. The forest is filled with them. There’s a stream, nearby, and if you would want so, I can help you wash off the blood.” She didn’t really know why did she offer her assistance, especially not since he took a step backwards, but then again it could have been an impulse. He didn’t really seem like a type of person who allowed anyone near himself and Darcy could understand that, to an extent.

[the-beautiful-antonia]

“Why must we all strive to marry ourselves off to someone and give them oaths we cannot follow? Marriage is a sham, a hoax. You can run along and tell that to the holy men who sees it as part of a woman’s duty and honor.”

[rain-bringingdarcy-blog]

As someone who was almost forced into marriage, Darcy had to agree with the woman. “It isn’t a hoax if it is made of love. I wouldn’t want to marry for anything else but love, which is why I doubt I shall ever marry.”

[colette-filo]

“NO! This is only my third or fourth drink….I…I feel great. You feel great. We’re all feeling great here.” Colette said taking another fairly large sip. She could feel the memories coming back again. They always hit her like a tidal wave. She couldn’t deal with seeing her friends and family how they used to be. So, she was going to drink to forget all the memories. At least it could help for a bit

[rain-bringingdarcy-blog]

“Are you sure you’re alright, miss? If it’s to judge by the amount of drinks -- I would say you are not as well as you’d like to be.”

[justone-bite]

@rain-bringingdarcy

He doesn’t remember stumbling that deep into the woods, but somehow Aaric had wandered so far away into the night that he was finding it difficult to return home. The blood that stained his clothes wasn’t his, though he can hardly recall how it got there. He remembered dreaming, things he didn’t understand, and then brief flashes of red, of himself ending another’s life, a member of his own staff that had outgrown their use to him. When he sees a figure in the distance before him, his heart races and fists clench. “I would stay back if I were you.”

[rain-bringingdarcy-blog]

It has been a long day for Darcy; with the dreams and the feeling of something long lost perpetually bothering her these day. She couldn’t sleep, so she’s decided to take a stroll in the woods, armed with her bow and arrows, just in case. Leaving Bartok in the stables, the young bandit wandered through the woods, her thoughts leading her back to the dream and the sensation of knowing which lingered in the air.

She reached the point where trees were thick around her and, it wasn’t until someone spoke a few yards in front of her, that she was snapped back into reality. With quick reflex she stringed he bow and aimed, but after she’s recognized who it was, she lowered down her weapon and frowned.

“I mean you no harm, my lord.” Darcy softly spoke and took a slow step forwards, with her hands raised, when she noticed the blood. She didn’t know if the man that haunted her dreams ever since she’s met him was hurt, but she still felt something alarmingly close to concern flash though her core. 

“Are you hurt?” She asked as she took another step towards him.

[colette-filo]

“NO! This is only my third or fourth drink….I…I feel great. You feel great. We’re all feeling great here.” Colette said taking another fairly large sip. She could feel the memories coming back again. They always hit her like a tidal wave. She couldn’t deal with seeing her friends and family how they used to be. So, she was going to drink to forget all the memories. At least it could help for a bit

[rain-bringingdarcy-blog]

Darcy frowned when the woman spoke, titling her head. “Are you quite sure? You don’t seem too fine to me.”

[rain-bringingdarcy-blog]

What Has Been Done Cannot Be Undone || Dione & Tantalus

[rain-bringingdarcy-blog]

Dione disagreed strongly with him. No, she didn’t justify his deed, even though she understood it, but she knew who was it really to blame. If he had been a better father, then Tantalus would have been more content with himself, more happy. Hearing his words, Dione took another step towards her husband even though he retreated, and shook her head.

“We are all monsters in a way, Tan. Life shapes up, relationships shape us, people shape us.” On his other words she froze, but she knew them to be true. Zeus hated anyone who opposed him, even if they are of his blood. “I know. But, I also know I will not leave you to suffer alone. I will find a way, even if it is just a brief glance or a message being delivered, but I will not desert you. I will never desert you.” Dione reached him and placed her hands on his shoulders.

“No matter what sin you have committed, no matter what you’ve done, I will always love you and stand by you, even if I suffer alongside.”

[justone-bite]

“No… Do not say that. There is no way. Even if he allows me to continue living, it will not be with you. He will never allow me to be happy.” Tantalus wasn’t sure what true happiness was. He delighted in the fear that came from his rule, but perhaps his mind was too far gone to remember the times that he was happy, when Dione first came to him and there was nothing to pull her attention away. 

He felt himself shrugging away from her touch, retreating backward a few more steps until his back was against the wall, like an animal backed into a corner. The past few weeks had been nothing but that, the mad king retreating to be alone. He had taken to shutting himself away for hours, and even at night, he’d slept in different chambers, not wanting to face his wife with the cruel thoughts that circulated through his mind. He couldn’t allow her to know, to try and talk him down from what he wished to do.

In a way, Tantalus got just what he wanted. He wished for his father’s attention, only now, he would suffer for it. “Do not hold out hope for me, my dear. You should not suffer any further.” A small part of him wants to reach out and embrace her, knowing it could have been the last time, but the more he looks at her, the more he can feel his chest tightening. He’s unable to speak again, and without another word, the man jerked the door open only to walk away.

[rain-bringingdarcy-blog]

CLOSED.