Icy Enchantment (Private w/ Artemise)

Today was surprisingly warm, Zaroc thought, as he made his way through the thick snow. Currently, he was out on the icy plains, not too far from the castle, but too far to be seen from there. Turning his head over his shoulder, Zaroc smiled when he saw the towering palace several acres away, beautiful and powerful in it's own right.

Not as beautiful or powerful as her though.

No, no, stop it, Zaroc scolded himself, shaking his head rapidly for a few moments as he turned away and strode forward, powering through the snow and leaving a thick trail behind him. I must stop thinking these thoughts. Recently he had began to see Artemise in a different light. For the first time he noticed how beautiful she was, how powerful she was in both magic and in mental strength. How intelligent she was. How.. how truly enchanting she was. He'd give any day to have her return his affections for her-

Stop it! Zaroc growled softly to himself at this thought. She's with Arche-something. He had heard rumours that the two were together and didn't want to intrude on their relationship. If they were happy, he had to be a male and respect that. He was still a little tail hurt though. Scratch that, he was very tail hurt.

Muttering to himself about 'emotions,' Zaroc stopped in the snow when he spotted something in the white substance. Tilting his head down at it, Zaroc used a large claw to part the snow, and when he saw what it was, he couldn't help the gentle smile that found it's way onto his face. A small tree had sprouted. Even in the most desolate of places, life managed to flourish.

"Hey there," he said softly, examining it with his eyes.

Artemise was free today. No meetings, no important talks, no stupid lectures by Avalanche about what she should do as a Semi-Goddess, blah blah blah. All crap and nonsense. As she strode out of the beautiful, icy palace through the massive doors, she loosed a sigh of contentment. She could do anything she liked today, without having to constantly reminding herself that she had to attend this thing, that thing at whatever time, at whatever place, with whatever dragon.

So she pushed all her worries aside. The thought that immediately took their place was a single dragon. Zaroc. She could picture him now, with his long, elegant snout and body bulky with muscle. His large wings, magnificent when spread to their full extent. His tail, with long spikes she envied. Not that she would ever tell him that. He would get all arrogant-ish.

Would he? So far, he seemed gentle and mild, never once displaying a hint of arrogance. He was never boasting about this and that. She'd met many drakes who had that attitude, and all she wanted to do was to beat their faces to a pulp. Zaroc was different, though - he seemed remarkably mature, something that drew Artemise to him. As she walked, she spotted a small tree. What was it doing here? Trees and such rarely grew here - the climate was too harsh.

Making her way towards it, she cursed at the stupid snow which halted her progress and used her tail to push them aside. A heavy snowstorm had pelted them all last night. How she wished Zaroc were here. Maybe they could both curse the snow. Moaning, she dragged her limbs through the snow, stopping when the small tree was in clear sight.

And beside it, Zaroc.

Upon seeing him, she could feel her heart miss a beat, and then start hammering against her chest. Well now. This response was something she hadn't really felt for most males. So far Archelaus was the only one who had made her feel this way, but she'd broken up with him, for he rarely visited her, not anymore. She gave the thought of Archelaus a mental kick, then returned her attention back to Zaroc.

He seemed to be talking to the tree. A slight smile curved her lips as she gazed at him in amusement. Zaroc, why are you talking to a tree? she thought affectionately. She wanted to go over and pat him. So she did, and she grinned as she patted him. "Hello, tree," she joked with a laugh, but her heart fluttered again as Zaroc turned his head to look at her.

(GAAAAAAH INNGER FANGIRL ENGAGE! AAAAAAAAAAH!)

Zaroc sniffed at the tree again, before glancing up at it's sparse leaves. Remarkable. He stepped back a small step, and then he felt something patting him. Blinking, Zaroc turned his head, having heard a familiar voice, and then he saw the dragoness that caused his huge heart to slam against his ribcage.

Artemise.

He pushed down his warm, glowy emotions and chuckled at her joke. "Very funny, Artemise," he smiled at her, before looking up at the tree again. "Remarkable. Haven't seen a young oak tree for a while. Never thought I'd see one here." After a moment, he spoke again. "I'm surprised it survived the storm last night. The wind blew in a few of the windows, actually," he shook his head, before looking at Artemise again, smiling at her gently.

"How are you, Artemise?" he asked, voice gentle as he locked eyes with her. His heart started beating so loud he was afraid she'd hear it. His expression was one of friendliness and happiness at seeing his best friend.

He watched her, this gem among gems, and felt the need to just.. Put a wing around her and never let go. He had never felt this way for a female..

[o.o]

Artemise, hearing Zaroc's comment about the snowstorm last night, nodded. "Yeah, the snowstorm was really heavy last night. And noisy," she said with a slight pout. "I honestly wanted to scream at the snowstorm to shut up and let me sleep, but noooo, it would just ignore me, because it's a snowstorm and not a dragon. And I would have wasted my breath anyway." She directed a glare at the vast blue sky, dotted with clouds. Snowstorm last night. And today? Not a hint of the heavily falling snow she had gotten mad at. She yawned suddenly, rubbing her eyes. She chased the sleepiness away. "I haven't gotten much sleep," she admitted anyway. "I'm fine, though. I've been thinking about--" Artemise shut her maw before the words slipped out of her mouth. I've been thinking about you more and more recently. No, that would not do.

It would seem weird to Zaroc, right? Another yawn escaped her. "How are you recently, though? A lot of meetings? Anyone annoying you met? Avalanche made me want to eat his tail. He keeps on giving me lectures that I really don't need. It's a wonder Queen Virgo hasn't done anything to shut him up yet. Irritating," she said with a snort. Rolling her eyes, she made a mental note to kick him in the face the next time he tried to lecture her. She curled her tail around a haunch and folded her half-stretched wings, and gave Zaroc a waggle of her eye ridges.

Zaroc smiled and chuckled at Artemise's comment on the storm. He loved her when she was like that. Fierce, yet hilariously irrational. "I myself was tempted to shake a fist at the sky, but of course, I have no hands, I have claws. And, as you say, it would have been a wasted gulp of air," he said, before shaking himself to rid his scales of the thin lwyer of frosty that had gathered on them. The elements ganged up on you so quickly out here.. Looking at the tree, Zaroc wondered how one could stand there for so many years and not succumb to the elements.

Hearing Artemise yawn, Zaroc looked at her, brow furrowed in concern. "You haven't been sleeping?" he said, tilting his head. She began to say something else, and he listened, but she abruptly cut herself off before she said what she was going to say.

Blinking, Zaroc was surprised. Artemise, from what he'd heard and seen of her,had never been one to hold her tongue. This was unusual, and it worried him.

Another yawn cut off Zaroc's thoughts, and he returned his attention to Artemise's words as she spoke again. He chuckled at the mention of Avalanche and replied with a rather positive tone in his voice.

"I'm fine. Yes, a few meetings here and there, discussing my responsibilities and things like that. The hard work starts the moment Virgo starts giving orders. But I am happy to serve her as long as I live. A little nervous of the future, though. I am afraid of making the wrong choices, but I know I will try my best." he said his fear with a darker tone, one containing well hidden anxiety, but it was there, but it returned to it's positive tone with his next words.

"The only ones that annoy me tend to be the other high rankers. If you ask me,they just want the attention sometimes. Their job is to serve and protect the tribe. The high ranks are a gateway to better living for your family and friends, not a gateway to fame." he had to smile at his next thought which, with Artemise, he expressed openly. "Yes, Avalanche really loves the sound of his own voice," he chuckled,before grinning at her. "Don't tell him I said that," he said, before smiling at her.

His smile took on an almost.. Flirtious look, as he blurted out something that most dragons wouldn't dare say to their.. Crush. "You look stunning, Artemise."

The moment he realised what he'd said, his eyes widened and Zaroc turned pink. "I-I mean! I-I, uh!" The usually composed Royal Advisor stammered and flushed.

"You haven't been sleeping?"

Artemise just shook her head, not wishing to speak about the nightmares that had once again started to haunt her dreams. It was always the same scene: The blood-soaked walls and ceiling and ground, and the corpses of her parents. In her dreams, she was always clutching something sharp, and smeared with blood. She was always the one to cause her parents' death. Artemise forced the thought away and returned her attention to Zaroc, who was speaking about Virgo. Zaroc was certainly loyal. A trait rarely found. But a frown pulled her eye ridges together when the Royal Adviser voiced his worries. Artemise shook her head again, and said, "Don't worry. You won't make the wrong choices, I'm sure of it." She meant it. She had seen the way he had considered things carefully before making a move. It would be a long time before he would make a wrong decision, but then again, everyone was bound to make one sooner or later in their lives.

Her frown deepened when Zaroc went on to speak about the high rankers. Artemise bobbed her head in agreement, and pushed in her own thoughts: "That's true. I'm sad to say that the majority of the high rankers use their position in the wrong way. Like you said, having a high rank is a gateway to living a better life, but not a gateway to fame." She suddenly gave Zaroc a smile. "But you are the rare exception. Not many high rankers are as humble as you." Then, hearing Zaroc's compliment, she flushed, turning her head away in embarrassment. "It's been a long time since someone complimented me like this," she said. "Thank you. An awkward silence followed, and Zaroc was the first to break it as he stuttered. She hurriedly tried to regain her composure and gave him a smile, though it was rather sloppy and half-hearted. But her words were not. "You look pretty handsome yourself," she said quietly, her cheeks flaming again.

Zaroc's worry began to manifest inside his chest when Artemise just shook her head and didn't give a verbal explanation for her inability to sleep at night. He pushed it down, though. He didn't want to seem pushy, or clingy. If she wanted to talk, she'd talk to him. He wouldn't push her at all. Both physically AND mentally. Well, unless it was a spar of course.. Then again, the pushes wouldn't be very hard, so..

Shaking the rant out of his head, Zaroc returned his attention to Artemise, peering at her with his eyes as she spoke words that reassured him. His shoulders relaxed slightly, and Zaroc nodded. "Thank you, Artemise," he said softly. "That helps a lot."


Then Artemise proceeded to voice her thoughts, and he listened, turning his head so he didn't have to strain his eyes looking at her with one side of his vision. He liked listening to her talk. Her voice was powerful in a way that made him pay attention and heed what she had to say. Few had that kind of verbal power.

Then, Artemise smiled that beautiful smile of hers and said he was a 'rare exeption.' Zaroc went pink and smiled foolishly, looking away shyly.
"T-t-thank you, A-Artemise," he stammered. "T-that means a l-lot."

Hearing her speak again in reply to his complement, Zaroc turned his head to look at her, now a bright pink in the cheeks. He couldn't help it! Did she think he was creepy? He hoped not! It was just an innocent compliment about her appearance today, nothing more! He hoped she didn't mind.

"N-no problem," he smiled, trying to regain his calm voice and normal pitched tone. Of course, what she said next made him go pink once again, as his mouth dropped open, pale eyes wide as he gazed at her in shock. Quickly, he shut it, and looked down. "Thank you.. Really, " he said this with sincerity and gratefulness. "Really.. Thank you. I.. I have never been told that before. Except by my mother, of course, but that was a family kind of compliment," of course, he did consider Artemise a 'Sister In Element,' as he did all the Icewings ('Brother In Element' if the dragon was a male) if that made sense, but he had romantic feelings for her, and they were steadily growing.

Crap, he was in love with Artemise, wasn't he?

Did he have to realise this right beside her? Of course he did. Timing had never been on Z's side, and it wasn't going to start now.

In an attempt to break the awkward silence and to change the subject, Zaroc spoke the first question he could think of."How's Archealus?" he pronounced his name wrong, but oh well, it was an attempt to get her to talk about things and to maybe get her mind off the fact he had just called her stunning?

Of course, she was many other things to him. Strong in mind, powerful in character, beautiful, gorgeous, that sort of thing. The reason he had these feelings for her though, was how.. Fiery she was. She had a fire he had not seen in any dragon before, young or old, male or female. He could not explain it. She was a blue diamond among dull gems.

This trait of hers made him curious about her, and then he fell in love with her other aspects. Crap, why was he going over this now?!

Zaroc hid his thoughts under a small smile and mask of content.

Artemise saw blood colour Zaroc's cheeks as he flushed and look away. Did her words mean that much to him? she wondered, a frown creasing her face as she peered at him. But her question was answered when Zaroc thanked her. Ah. So it did mean a lot to him. Her smile appeared again. "I mean it, Zaroc," Artemise said softly, and she said his name in a rather tender way which surprised her own self. Then Zaroc turned his head to look at her again as she complimented him on his appearance, and the two pink spots on his cheeks seemed even more visible. He thanked her again, and she murmured, "No one's complimented you, besides your mother and me? Wow, the IceWings must be so blind."

Then thoughts seemed to run through Zaroc's mind, before he spoke a single word: Archelaus. Artemise's face darkened visibly. "Archelaus," she corrected him anyway. She had a rather bad habit of correcting others on their pronunciations, but the "bad habit" revealed itself at irregular times. But why now? Such horrible timing. She shook her head and went on. "I broke up with him, after he refused to talk or visit me for...what? The twentieth time?" She sighed, or tried to; she caught herself before her exhale of breath escaped her. She seemed to be sighing frequently today... Or maybe it was Zaroc who made her feel like she didn't need to hide anything. Around others, she acted normal, concealing her feelings and always appearing happy.

But around Zaroc...she felt like he would not judge her when she told him now she felt. Was she supposed to feel this way around someone who she had just met a few months ago? Then again, Zaroc seemed really trustable. Artemise was seized by a sudden urge to wrap her wings around him, to hug him and bury her face in his neck, and thank him over and over again. For what? For making her feel like she didn't have to pretend. She dug her claws into the snow, restraining herself. Her eyes staring at the snow, she spoke. "I also have to thank you, Zaroc." She looked up, and her eyes were suddenly shining with emotion that wasn't there before. Her next words tumbled out of her maw in a rush; she couldn't hold them back. It was like crying, but one couldn't control the tears, could they?

"You make me feel...happy. Seems weird, but I'm serious. Whenever I see you, I have to try not to beam. And you don't make me feel like having to act. What do you mean by acting, you wonder? Whenever I'm around others, I have to pretend that nothing's bothering me, or else it will attract a lot of questions. I don't mind questions, as long as they are not about...me. My history, my family - I hate questions about them. Others wouldn't know that, would they? And I can hardly blame them for it. But you! You make me feel like telling you everything is okay. You and your gentle way of speaking and doing things. You are so trustable." She shook her head hard. "It's so hard to explain..."

Gosh. It sounded so much like a confession...

[I am in love with the length of this post xD I don't often have enough... "stuff" to talk about to make a post this long. And I'm sorry for taking so long to reply, by the way! ;.;]

(Its fine xD I must admit, the biggest grin came onto my face when I saw you posted xD)

Zaroc's smile widened when Artemise spoke three words. 'I mean it.' He had never pictured Artemise thinking of him as more then an 'okay looking' dragon.

He then shrugged at her words. "It does not offend me. I'm happy to take the few compliments that come my way, as it makes them more special." Especially when they come from you. He wanted to say that, and almost did, but pushed it down. She had a boyfriend! Or was he her mate? He wasn't too sure, all he knew was that she was not single.

Then, he noticed Artemise's expression darkened when he mentioned Arche-something. She then pronounced his name correctly for him. "Whoops, sorry." Immediately he knew something was wrong, and when Artemise said what she said next, he couldn't help the sadness that exploded inside his chest. The sadness at hearing Artemise's significant other hadn't been treating her right.. "O-Oh my, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize," He looked at her with empathy in his pale, ghostly eyes. "It's his loss. He should have been far more devoted. I'm so sorry, Artemise. If there's anything I can do, please let me know." Then, he dropped the subject, knowing it was probably a very touchy one for Artemise.

With a swish of his tail, Zaroc glanced up at a dragon's shriek, and saw an icewing group pass overhead, prey clutched in their claws. He hadn't seen a lot of hunting lately. And even less successful hunts. It was worrying him. Or maybe he was always studying and always had his snout in a book and never noticed, he didn't know.

Hearing Artemise speak again, it took the adult icewing a few seconds to process her words. Thank him? What did she have to thank him for?

Lowering his gaze from the clouds to Artemise's face and giving her a questioning look, Zaroc's eyes widened when she started speaking words he had never heard before. He met her eyes, and saw the emotion there, and felt his insides warm up.

His mouth was open a good few inches when she finished, his entire body frozen like ice. Zaroc gazed at her, and tried to speak, but nothing came out. His eyes held shock, and warmth.

Unable to express his feelings through words, Zaroc hugged her.

Wrapping his wings around her shoulders, he embraced her. He was gentle, and kept it as a friendly hug, but he didn't know what her reaction would be. This sudden show of emotion and affection was shocking to most. How would she take it?

[I'll make your waiting worth it  But you sure reply fast. I feel as if I haven't even posted at all o.o]

Artemise lidded her eyes, not wishing to show the bright shine of unshed tears in them. She had never been one to cry much, but then again, she hadn't been one to hold back her tears easily, either. She did not wish to cry in front of Zaroc. What if he viewed her as an over-sentimental dragoness? But his next movements told her otherwise, as he came forward and wrapped his wings around her shoulder in an embrace. Artemise internally flipped a table and shrieked "Whatever! I don't care if he thinks me as crazy!", before lowering her head so that it rested on Zaroc's shoulder.

Then she let the tears fall, and for once she did not feel embarrassed to cry. They stood there for a while, Artemise's tears continually making their way down her cheek, and at one point of time she moved, but only to wrap her wings around him, pulling him closer to her. Finally, after what seemed like eternity, the flow of her tears slowed and eventually came to a halt. Artemise raised her head to meet Zaroc's gaze with hers. This time her eyes were filled with gratefulness, but no longer sadness and pressure. For once.

"I think I owe you an explanation." Artemise, though her body was locked in place with Zaroc, spoke firmly as if she were unaware of the contact of their bodies. As if they were not even touching at all, as if she were a high ranker addressing another high ranker. "I know it seems rather sudden, what with me being one happy dragoness one second and an emotional one the next. If you think of me as crazy and over-sentimental, crying over having to act, then I understand. But if you do not think of me as a completely insane idiot, then...wow. I'm probably not so crazy, then," she said with a smile, her firm, brisk voice softening. Her smile was sloppy and halfhearted, though, and it soon faded away, but her tone was still soft.

"If you don't mind listening to a long paragraph of my history that will follow this sentence, then you're in for hearing one of my...secrets. One that I have never told anyone - no, not a single soul, not even Virgo. I don't know why exactly I want to tell you of all dragons, especially when I have just known you for a few months. But as I've stated before...you are special, and you give me the feeling that you will not judge me for any of my actions. After all, you're that rare individual who makes me feel like I don't need to act. Why do I need to act anyway? Again, it's because of my history.

"No, Zaroc. My history does not consist of bloody murders that I committed. But I saw scarlet at the age of one. I was just doing my usual activities at home - eating my father's tail...well, not exactly eating, but I think you get my point. Then my mother was curled up next to my father, sleeping peacefully. Then it happened. A rogue FireWing entered our home. My parents were pure blooded IceWings, you see, but they were rogues. They wished to live a free life, not a life where they had to abide by rules. So they went rogue, but of course that lead to their death. The FireWing looked normal, at first glance, but if you look again, you could see his eyes. They were all clouded, and his irises were a faded, milky shade of orange.

"I knew there was something wrong with him when he roared. To me, it sounded more of a scream of pain, and it probably was, judging from the foam bubbling at his maw and the near-invisible bleeding gashes on his body. His scream woke my mother, and my parents' reactions were swift: they moved to stand in front of me. As their only child, I was their priority. The FireWing charged at them, his burning tail - yes, his tail was on fire - held in front of him. My parents, being IceWings, were vulnerable to fire. They could have fought back, but both of them had a gentle nature, and just stood their ground while the FireWing slashed at them with his flaming tail.

"I will not go into detail about this [~~], but after my parents fell, the FireWing just turned tail and fled. I was spared. But my parents were not. From the moment the dull thud of their bodies crashed upon the ground, I blamed myself. From age one, until now. A small part reasoned with me: I was too young to have done anything! But I still blamed myself, for not learning how to fight. My parents, gentle as they were, wanted to teach me the basics of fighting so I could protect myself. I was lazy, and thought that my parents could always help me - why fight, when I already have a wall? I took them for granted. How I regret that now. That's why you see me fight so well. After that day, I went to join the IceWings. Though no one noticed me, I noticed them. I specially attended tournaments and studied the way the competitors fought, and eventually learned.

"But I always had a trace of sadness when I spoke, and some noticed it. They asked questions. Like I said, I am very, very touchy to questions related to my history, and I lashed out at them blindly, consumed by the sudden hate and fury that consumed me. I have a horrific way of dealing damage, both verbally and physically, and you know how horrible the damage was. So I had to pretend, to be all happy, so that no one will ask questions, and no one will get hurt. I have managed to learn some self-control over the years, though, and I can control myself better.

She took a deep breath. "And there you have it, my long long history. If you're wondering why I...cried, you will understand if you have such a burden placed upon your shoulders. I am not one who can keep secrets with ease. To me, secrets are a burden, and they mean having to lie. If you're disgusted with me...then..." She did not finish, and just closed her eyes, waiting for whatever reaction he would have.

[~~CUZ IT'S NOT ALLOWED ON DRF. I'm too lazy to type it out anyway. I think this is my longest post ever xD and probably the crappiest, since Artemise talks so much. Blah blah blah... x.x]

(Lol xD I was just so excited to see you post that I just started typing xD)

Zaroc, for a moment, was worried that Artemise would get angry at him or upset, but, much to his shock, he felt her rest her head on his shoulder. A moment later, he felt the tiniest, softest of drips on his shoulder. She was crying..

He stayed with her, didn't move, merely hugged her hard and kept her close, his head touching the spot where her neck met her shoulder, eyes half closed as he watched the land behind her, feeling many emotions. Relieved, for the fact that she didn't take his head off for touching her. Happy, at the fact that she accepted and returned his show of friendship. Sadness, at her sadness. And many more that he would not bother to spend time categorising. For now, he just enjoyed the moment.


Feeling Artemise move, Zaroc pulled his head back to meet her eyes, and peered at her with his eerie, yet kind pair of eyes. At her words, he blinked, brow furrowing slightly in his confusion. She never had to explain herself to him. She had her own reasons and her own methods of dealing with pain and anger, he didn't need an explanation off her. But, if she wanted to talk, he was more then happy to listen.

Her half-smile made her words hurt all the more. Why would he think she was crazy for showing emotion?

Zaroc listened to her, giving a small nod every so often to show he was paying attention and listening to her words. He could picture it all so very clearly.. The carnage of that fateful night. The screams, the roars of rage and defeat, and the blood splattering across the floor-


Zaroc stopped himself, knowing he would be sick if he thought much more about what baby Artemise had experienced.


He looked at her, his expression holding heartbreak and sorrow, an expression never found on Zaroc unless it was something horrible. Why her? Why did this have to happen to her? He screamed questions internally, the whats and the hows of the situation, and, the biggest question of them all.

Why did the FireWing do it?


Zaroc now saw Artemise in a new light. She was a scarred dragoness with a bad reputation, just trying to hold it together and put on a brave face. By lying to others, she had lied to herself. Holding those sort of memories in was unhealthy, and it made Zaroc worry for her.


When Artemise closed her eyes, Zaroc sighed silently. "Artemise," He said, bringing his left wing up to her chin and gently tilting her face towards him, asking her to look at him. "NEVER will I judge you, or be disgusted with you, or belittle you. None of this is your fault. None of it. I knew from the day I met you you were not a savage beast capable of only hatred and anger. I knew and know that you are an intelligent, independent, powerful and strong dragoness that deserves nothing but the best in the world. NEVER will I EVER think ANY different of you just because you experienced something too young, too fast."
"You have to be one of the most amazing dragons I have ever met in my life. No, scratch that, the most amazing. I-" He stopped himself, but his eyes said what he wanted to say. Had he said the last two words, he would have verbally expressed that he loved her, but no, he wasn't able to. Because he was afraid of her having a bad reaction.

"I care so much about you," He said, choosing the safer option. Despite the fact she broke up with Archelaus, he didn't want to intrude on her romantic space. Besides, why would she love him?

Clearing his throat, Zaroc hadn't realised he had leaned towards her, and he was now just a few inches away from her face. His eyes widened slightly, and he debated within himself wether to back off, or close the gap. He hadn't noticed how much emotion he'd put into those words, either.

Lean away? Or close the gap?

(Your writing is beautiful, never think of it as crappy! It's a wonderful style and it draws me right in, no matter how long it is! You could write a book )

[Thank you so much, Zaroc! I think this is the first time someone on DRF complimented me on my writing. To be honest, I do like your posts too. Always full of text, and worth reading <3]

Halfway through speaking, her head turned to the side so that Zaroc wouldn't see her emotions chasing each other across her face. Her eyes were averted, and they stared pointedly at the ground. But she felt Zaroc lift his head from the crook of her shoulder, and she drew her gaze back to Zaroc, though her face was still turned away from him. That was when she saw her sorrow reflected in that pair of eyes, both a hue of an unusual milky white. Artemise started, a small, almost unnoticeable, jerk that indicated her shock, as thoughts began to swirl in her mind. Oh, Zaroc, she thought. Although I knew you were an understanding dragon, I thought you wouldn't understand me to this extent! How wrong I am!

Then she felt something tilt her head to face him. What Zaroc would see was a grieving face, completely naked in its vulnerability. But her grief was soon replaced with shock and some joy when he spoke words that comforted her, that made her tense body relax, that cleared her messed-up, chaotic mind. The flow of tears began again while he was speaking, for she was so touched, and her vision was blurred by the time he finished. [~~] But she blinked the tears away, her eye ridges pulling together when she heard Zaroc cut himself off, them hurriedly add in some words that seemed to be carefully chosen.

What had he wanted to say?

Artemise's eye ridges pulled together as she stared at Zaroc's face, especially his eyes, searching for some clue for what he had originally planned to say. She found her answer as soon as she bothered to actually look at him. His face was raw and open, probably just as open as hers, and his secrets seemed to be displayed clearly on his face. Then she noticed him leaning in closer to her, and her breath caught in her throat when she felt his warm breath on her snout. She knew now, knew of why Zaroc seemed to be constantly flushing around her, and of why her heart seemed to brighten at the sight of him.

"Zaroc." She spoke his name in a caressing whisper. "Do you...love me?"

[~~To be honest I nearly cried too xD But oh my god this is the one of the best RPs I've ever done. ;v;]

(Awww, thank you That's so nice! And yes, A and Z go well together xD)

Zaroc watched as Artemise's expression change from grief to shock and joy. Was she really that surprised? Zaroc's emotions toyed with him while he debated on what to say. How was she taking it? Positively, it seemed.

Then, she began to cry again.

Zaroc watched as she blinked them away, relieved to find she seemed to relax at his words. His tail flicked, sending a tiny spray of snow off to the right.

Wait- uh oh.

She figured it out.

He saw her brows furrow, and then she looked at him. Zaroc's heart started to throw itself against his ribs in an attempt to escape from it's prison. His throat became dry and his tongue instantly went from feeling like icy flesh to feeling like sand.

Then, out of all questions, she had to ask him that one.


Zaroc hesitated, tensing up. She had him now, and he would not lie to her. He opened his mouth and tried to speak, but no sound would come out. Come on, Zaroc, he scolded himself. Tell her!

Zaroc swallowed his fear, and out tumbled words held in for far too long.

"Artemise, many dragons would be much better a mate then me. Some are stronger, braver, and certainly smarter. I can offer nothing special, except for the ever growing capacity to love you. I love you for all that you are, all that you have been, and all that you  are yet to be.
"
His insides went cold, colder then usual, and he released a loud breath, as if a weight was being exhaled from his lungs. A weight too large to be carried for one like him.

While he awaited her answer, Zaroc's eyes scanned her face for her reaction, then his eyes found hers. He locked gazes with her, the anxiety clear in his colourless eyes.

What would she say?
What would the Icewing semi-goddess say in reply to a confession from the one who loved her?

"I.. I love you, Artemise."
(Oh, god, sorry for nearly making you cry! D: And this IS quite a roleplay, if I do say so myself )

BUMPIDY BUMP BUMP

[Please be patient, Zaroc ;.; I had an exam to prepare for!]

Artemise regretted the question as soon as it came out of her maw, as Zaroc tensed upon hearing it, and he looked like someone had just died (literally) when he spoke. Her eyes widened as her brain registered his words, which tumbled out so quickly that Artemise nearly missed most of them. He finished, with a heavy sigh that told of burdens that was too many for him to carry upon his shoulders. Then his maw moved again, and the words Artemise had longed to hear her whole life came.

"I love you."

A smile broke across her face, crinkling the corners of her eyes and curving her lips up. "Don't worry, Zaroc," she said quietly, her voice so soft that it was barely audible, even to her. "I don't care if you think you're not good enough for me. I think that you're good enough for me. In terms of bravery and combat skills, maybe others have more of that compared to you, but in terms of loyalty and other important traits that are valued by all, you put the others to shame. I follow my heart, and it wants you."

Artemise, without any warning, pulled Zaroc closer to her with a fierce possessiveness that surprised even her own self. They were so close to each other that their snouts were touching, though barely, and their breaths mingling. Her eyes, nearly black with lust that hadn't been there a few seconds ago, shone with a raw hunger as she crashed her lips against him, kissing him passionately. All other thoughts that were not related to Zaroc were kicked away, and she focused all her attention on Zaroc. Her Zaroc was more like it. The kiss was intense, and tingles of pleasure kept on running through her.

[Meow, hope this post is fine with both you and the rules of DRF.]

(Oh god, sorry! D:)

Zaroc watched Artemise's face as her brain registered his words, his whole head burning as if a FireWing had set fire to his face. Her eyes widened, and Zaroc went cold inside, wanting the ground to open up and swallow him. He wanted to shut his eyes and open them and find himself back in his study area. He wanted to-

Wait, she was smiling?

Zaroc's brow furrowed very slightly in confusion. Wait, she was smiling! Then, she spoke words that Zaroc could only have dreamed of.

He opened his mouth, but suddenly Artemise grabbed him and pulled him closer, her eyes dark with an emotion Zaroc could barely understand. Zaroc didn't even have time to take a breath before her maw was pressed against his in a passionate kiss.

Zaroc stood there for a moment, eyes wide, before he closed them and returned her affections with just as much eagerness.


Eventually, Zaroc needed air, and he pulled away after about a minute. His lungs ablaze, he breathed heavily, gazing at Artemise with shock, amazement and joy in his ghostly eyes.


"Artemise, I.. I.. Woah."


Zaroc smiled warmly at her and tilted his head, peering at her with a new warmth in his gaze. "I.." He stammered, unsure of what to say. He hoped she knew just how much he cared, how much he appreciated her affections for him.

Zaroc sighed softly, giving up on his mouth, before pressing his forehead against hers, closing his eyes for a moment. He had seen his parents do this a lot after showing each other affection. It was a sign of union in his family, of silent affection and adoration. Artemise and him were connected now, in a very special way. They were connected by trust and love.

Zaroc had never really understood it when he was younger, but now he did.

Pulling away, Zaroc opened his eyes, now having collected his thoughts a bit, and spoke.

"What now?" he chuckled, tilting his head again in a show of curiosity of her answer.

[It's fine xD]

Artemise frowned in confusion when Zaroc pulled away, but understood when she heard him take a great gulp of air. He needed to breathe. That realisation made her start to laugh, and once she started laughing, she couldn't really stop, for she felt so joyful. One: she had finally found her mate! Two: Zaroc accepted her. He didn't push her away! However, she managed to quell her laughter when Zaroc nuzzled her; lovingly, she nuzzled back, murmuring her answer as he pulled away to ask her a question:: "To be honest, I don't really know, but whatever fate throws at us, we'll go through it together. Promise?"

She gave him a smile that told of her joy. Then she wrapped her wings around him again, and pulled him closer, resting her head on the crook of his neck. A sigh escaping her maw in the shape of a white wisp. Then she shut her eyes, and she instinctively knew that Zaroc understood what she wanted: to stay here, in this position, until she was satisfied. She moved her head a little, opening her eyes, and whispered into his ear how much she loved him, in a gentle, purring voice. Afterwards she shut her eyes again, and inhaled deeply the scent of Zaroc, which had suddenly turned rather reassuring to her.

--A few hours later--

Artemise finally opened her eyes again, to see streaks of red, orange and purple decorating the sky. The sun was setting, and night was falling. Releasing Zaroc with a sigh, she told him, "About time we went back. But I'd rather go to yours; mine is just a cave located near the tip of a mountain...It's pretty plain..." She flushed in embarrassment, silently cursing herself for having such a plain home. Last time she had been contented with it, but now...

[Sorry if it's crappy! ;.;]

Zaroc's eyes widened when Artemise began to.. Laugh? It sent tingles of joy up his spine. Her laugh was like music, and for a few moments, the wind seemed to pause to listen.

Zaroc had never seen her laugh before..

Smiling, Zaroc chuckled along with her, his laughter deep and rumbling, as if it were smoke exhaling from a rumbling volcano.

As Artemise pulled away, Zaroc purred softly and rubbed his snout ove hrs briefly, his purrs increasing in volume for a moment.

Artemise spoke and Zaroc replied immediately, smiling again. "I promise, Artemise."

Then, she smiled her beautiful smile and Zaroc smiled back, eyes aglow with content, joy and love he had never felt before. The once lonely ice drake felt as if a gap in his heart has been filled. He felt.. Happy.

Artemise moved forward, resting her head on the crook of his thick neck, her wings coming to wrap around his body, and Zaroc returned her affections. Wrapping his huge wings around her, he enveloped her in his grasp, his tail sliding around to intertwine with hers. His head rested on the back of her neck, turned so he could see her face.

He knew she wanted to stay like this, and he was happy to do that. More then happy, actually.

Z felt her head shift, and his senses tingled at her words. He whispered back how much he loved her, before he growled softly. Not in anger, but in protective possessiveness, to reassure her that he was her, and he'd protect her. It was mixed in with a purr, creating a sound he would only use with her.


-A Few Hours Later-

When Arty finally released him, his legs were numb, but he didn't mind. Opening his eyes, Z looked at Artemise and saw her face and eyes aglow with shades of orange, pink and red. Raising his eyes to the sky, Zaroc gazed at the vibrant, yet pastelish shades that coated the sky like a hatchling's dream blanket.

Looking back at Artemise, Z listened to her as she spoke, and tilted his head slightly, smiling gently. Deciding to be bold, he smirked and leaned forward so his snout was just centimetres from hers. "You should flush more often, it suits you," he purred, before pulling away and smiling brightly.

"Well, if you insist, though I'm sure your cave is better then mine. Mine is full of scrolls and books I write. And drawings. So nothing special on my end," he chuckled, shrugging as a shy look came onto his face.

Backing away a step so she had room to take off, Zaroc stretched his wings, giving them one or two 'test flaps.' He then leapt into the air, wings beating hard. He grinned at her and turned. Looking over his shoulder at her, he spoke.

"Follow me!"

He then accelerated, flying at a modest pace.

Artemise curiously watched Zaroc tilt his head, smirk in a very un-Zaroclike way and lean towards her. She expected another kiss from her suddenly bold mate, but what he said took her completely by surprise. Two bright spots of pink appeared on her cheeks again as he purred about how she should flush more, displaying her embarrassment at Zaroc's words. Thankfully he drew his head back soon, otherwise she'd have probably done something rash like kissing him again, in this place where someone was bound to spot them wrapped around each other. That thought sent a shudder rippling through her. She did love Zaroc, yes, but what they did together wasn't something she wanted others to see. Then she dismissed the thought as Zaroc spoke again.

Good. At least she didn't have to show her pathetic hole of a home, cluttered with mostly useless papers. And some art, most of which portrayed dark caves, or worse, bleeding dragons. One could look at her art and tell how broken she was on the inside. Until now. She perked up, though, when she heard that Zaroc's cave was full of scrolls and drawings. Two things that she liked. Beaming, Artemise followed Zaroc, beating her wings and lifting herself into the air. She kept pace with Zaroc easily, flying at a leisurely pace and enjoying both the view from the sky and the flight with her mate, whom she loved so much that it made her chest ache. She loved flying: The way she could see so much from the sky, how the winds seemed to wash over her and take her worries along with it... Everything. And now, there would be an addition. Her mate. She turned her head to smile at Zaroc, her love displayed in her eyes.

Feeling a pair of eyes on him, Zaroc turned his head and seen Artemise looking at him. He smiled at her, and then the cave came into view.

Buried in the side of a mountain, it looked small from the outside. That is, until you could see inside.


Pulling in his wings a few inches, Zaroc landed on the ledge with a flap of the wings, folding them to his sides as he waited for Artemise to join him. Once she did, he grinned at her nervously. "Your cave is certainly more impressive then mine, but.. it's homy," he chuckled, before stepping inside, having to crouch down very slightly to prevent his back from scraping against the roof of the entrance.

Once you got inside, it was huge. A vast tunnel that went for what seemed like miles. It was dark, but not too dark that you couldn't see.

Turning his head, Zaroc beamed at Artemise. "So.. where do you want to go?Art room, my book room, bedroom.. Where to?" He shrugged shyly, two soft spots of pink fading into his cheeks.

The cave looked tiny on the outside. But on the inside... Artemise drew in a breath as she gazed around in amazement. It was huge. It looked like it could hold several IceWings in here and still have space for more. Hers, though spacious with several...floors, if you could call the stairs leading to the depths of the mountain, was nothing compared to this. She was starting to wish she had gotten a larger home, but she soon slapped that thought with a mental shout: "Zaroc is my mate! He would never ever judge me by my tiny cave!" It kind of rhymed, and she couldn't help but smile, both from the amusing rhyme and amazement at the spaciousness.

Artemise folded her wings as Zaroc did so, and returned his smile with considerably less nervousness. "Oh, no, mine isn't impressive, really it isn't. It's like a labyrinth, and one could get lost easily..." she admitted with a slight flush. Then she tilted her head when Zaroc asked where she wanted to go, considering which one would be most interesting. "The art room," she said at last. She wanted to see how Zaroc painted. Maybe they could even paint together. Speaking of art... Her mind travelled back to the paintings she had at home. Some were beautiful and extremely realistic, but some depicted violent scenes, and dark caves; even worse, there were a few canvases with random colours viciously splattered across it. She had done that a few times, when her mind had been in a state of utter chaos... She suppressed a shiver, and forced a smile onto her face. "You lead the way," she said with fake lightness.

A labyrinth? Zaroc smiled as she spoke of her cave, knowing it was far more impressive then she let on. Besides, wether her cave was like Tempest's palace or a hole in the ground, he loved her.

Art room?

"Alrighty!" Zaroc exclaimed, trying to hide his nervousness. What would she think of his paintings? They were usually drawings of snowy forests, and the IceWing Palace from different angles. He had also drawn historical events, such as the NightWings and FireWings taking back the EarthWing territory from the humans. A pang of sadness hit him when he realized Tempest had died during this event. Of course, he had drawn a painting in her memory. He wished he had met her.. She seemed like a fine queen.

Zaroc nodded at Artemise's words and set off down the tunnel. He took a left, then went down a flight of stone stairs, before proceeding through a door, crafted by one of the IceWing tribe members.

It was an extremely colorful room, with pictures of historical events, as stated before, including an image of Virgo being crowned queen. That one had taken ages to draw. There was also the marriage of Devi and his mate somewhere in there.. There were a few hundred all together.

Standing in the middle, he turned and shrugged, smiling as his eyes lowered to the ground. "It's.. not very impressive, but, you know, I love art."

If Artemise looked off to the right, beside the painting of the IceWing palace from above, she would see drawings of herself.

There were three altogether. One was Artemise facing forward, obviously taken from Zaroc's mind when he'd been talking to her at one point. Then there was one of her gazing at the stars while standing on a cliff. The last one was a painting of her hovering from below, wings capturing the sun's light.

Zaroc didn't notice those paintings were so obviously visible, and shrugged again as he glanced around. "When I'm alone, I'm either drawing here or out there." he gestured to the ceiling with his head.

Turning, Zaroc realized he had yet to finish a painting that somebody had requested him to do. It was lying off in the corner. He'd finish that later, it was nearly done anyways.

His ghostly eyes roamed over the paintings of the moments that had changed the course of Pyrria's history. He had always wanted to see some of those moments.. Like the crowning of Tempest, or the meeting between Tempest and Oculus as they discussed how to defeat the humans.

His weirdest one was off in the back, hidden from view unless you actually went to the back and turned your head to the right.

A drawing of a human. A boy, with messy brown hair, facing forward, with his hand outstretched towards something.

Artemise entered the art room, and a gasp of surprise, amazement and shock mixed in together escaped her as she gazed around. "Woah! I didn't know that you were this good at art!" Indeed, his skill could be matched with hers. They could certainly be art partners one day, she thought as she moved towards a random painting. From far it looked like a blur of ice blue and some brown, but close up, she could see that the painting portrayed a scene, and a rather memorable one as well: it was of Virgo being crowned Queen. What a coincidence, she thought as she admired the painting. She'd drawn the very same thing, only from a different angle. And Zaroc was in it as well. She'd painted it so well that it looked exactly like the actual scene; the only thing missing from her painting at home was Avalanche, whom she'd grown to have a huge dislike for. Even the thought of him drew a disgusted look across her face, but it was quickly wiped away; she didn't want Zaroc to get the wrong impression.

Then she moved to admire the next painting, and the next. All of them were beautiful, with carefully drawn details and eye-catching hues. However, there was one thing that disappointed her: he only drew scenes. No patterns, no special designs. But they were still pretty, and really well done. Then her gaze landed on three drawing of her own. Again, heat crept up her neck and cheeks as she stared at the paintings, all of them drawn to utter perfection. Had he paid attention to every single detail of her? Oh, gods... "It's beautiful," she whispered to herself as she admired the paintings of her. Then quickly turned away to move on to others. She envied him for having only pretty drawings. Much unlike hers at home, the good-looking drawings surrounded with ugly, dark ones... When she looked at all the paintings in the room (except for the half-hidden one of the boy), Artemise told Zaroc, "Your art is impressive. Should we become art partners?" in a half-joking way.

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