Legendland {Hiatus} Challenge
For this challenge, we were given the month of April to do 15 items from a list. I chose to do a Fic (100+ words = 1 item, my fic is 1400+ words (which equals 14 items.)) And a vidlet. (30 seconds or longer = 1 item) 14 + 1 = 15 MY AWESOME MATH SKILLZ. Also thanks to my twin zwineninja for the fic prompt.
Item: Vidlet
Title: My hand over your heart.
Editor: mcc2040 aka MetalChickCrisis2040
Length: 1:22
Pairing: Richard/Kahlan
Song: I Remain
Artist: Alanis Morissette
Title: Simplicity
Author: mcc2040
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Richard/Nicci
Word Count: 1465
The day had grown from dawn to dusk slower than any other. What was supposed to be a trip away from D’Hara in order to teach Richard more about his Han had turned into an all out camping trip. And it was she who was learning from him, not the other way around. The Sorceress should have known not to challenge the Seeker. Her words had been countered, thrust right back at her. She thought it was just her bad luck, but soon realized that this was Richard’s natural way. Teaching without having to say a word.
The deal that had been struck was simple. If he were going to go along with her plan, they had to travel to the site she wished to train him on foot. She wasn’t allowed to use any Han to assist her during their journey. She was to do this as a woman, a woods woman. Nicci hardly minded at first. Looking at him as if he’d told her water was cold and that was the best way to drink it. However, once they had gotten to hiking, she found herself cursing the agreement. Her feet hurt, every muscle in her body was sore and strung tight from the long day. If only she had changed the location where the terrain wasn’t so back-breaking.
It was almost sundown when he turned to her, that damn smirk proud upon his face but not at all condescending. One thing she found she never understood about this man. How was he able to find humor and make her feel like the entirety of the situation were funny without somehow making her feel inadequate? There was no mock nor scorn. Nor an ‘I told you so’. There was simply him, and his beautiful smile, eyes shining like the vibrant colors that bathed him in warm, sunset vibes. She saw the world around him come alive. He and nature were as one.
“We can set up camp here. I’ll get our firewood if you take care of our bed rolls, and get the utensils out for our meal. I might as well catch us something good to eat while I’m out.”
He was gone a total of thirty minutes. She heard him before she saw him, making noise as to not frighten her. He tossed two hares down before her, and set down a large arm full of logs. It looked like he had taken the time to chop them, and she momentarily caught a glimpse of the small axe attached to his belt. Why was it that the simple act amazed her? Was it because she depended so much on her Han, that being without it now made her feel lost? Vulnerable? Of course, she could always call upon it if she wished. It was there. Singing beneath her skin, thrumming through her veins. Waiting.
But as per their agreement, she chose to let it be. And now she was taut with physical fatigue of the likes she hadn’t known for quite some time. Watching as Richard went about his manly task of getting their fire going, she marveled at the skill he did so with. After a full week of traveling, he was hardly winded. He never showed signs of discomfort. And when asked, he said that he was used to it. And that he preferred to feel these things, because they were apart of life. Nicci had chosen not to say anything more on the matter. He was right, after all. Always right.
“I saw a spring not too far from here if you want to relax your muscles. Dinner won’t be ready for a while yet.” He was looking at her now, knowingly. But still not in a manner to say that she was weak.
“If you are trying to suggest that I am dirty and in need of a bath, Richard, that’s not a very nice thing to imply to a lady.” she smiled. The tease in her voice was unmistakable, making Richard laugh heartily.
He shrugged and went back to skinning the hares, completely aware but remaining oblivious to the fact that Nicci’s eyes were on him.
She was biting her lower lip, staring at his back. Reprimanding her thoughts of wanting to see the skin beneath ripple with the muscle in his strong body. Her cheeks flushed, and she quickly drew her attention to the fire, clearing her throat.
The silence that passed was comfortable. Neither feeling as if they had to speak. Enjoying his company this way was much appreciated. She didn’t know how she was going to survive being alone with him much longer, knowing how her heart beat for him so. It was difficult, but not impossible. Still, now she wished that Cara had come along, but Richard had insisted she not. The Mord’Sith was more than reluctant to obey, but the thought of being around such powerful magic did little to appeal to the red leathered femme fatale.
After they had eaten their dinner, the sun was already down passed the mountains to the west. An orange glow hung over the sky beyond, stars beginning to show on their end. Nicci sat with her back to a log, a blazing fire before her as she wrapped the blanket around her shoulders tighter. Her feet still throbbed, but her legs and lower back were no better. Richard sat across from her, reading a book that she’d assigned to him. Finally, she could take the silence no more, needing to hear his voice and look into his eyes as he spoke to her.
“Alright. You were right, Richard. All of this traveling isn’t as easy as it looks, or as my Han allows it to be.” A slight groan curled from her parted lips as she went to move. Richard’s rumbling laughter brought her eyes heatedly to his own. “There is nothing funny about this, Richard Rahl. My feet hurt! My back feels like it’s been trampled by at least a dozen horses.”
“You’re just not used to it.” Richard said, shutting his book and setting it aside. He grabbed something from his pack and then stood up, walking over to her, kneeling at her feet. Nicci stared up at him, her heart feeling as if it might beat right out of her chest. “I can’t believe you’re complaining, though. It’s not like you.” He smirked.
Nicci scoffed, not knowing what he was planning, his dark eyes were sparkling in the firelight. It made her catch her breath before she was able to muster a retort. “It is not a complaint. I- what are you doing?”
Richard had hardly waited for her to finish. Instead, he gently grasped her ankle and brought her foot up on his bent knee. His hands were laved in the bottle he’d grabbed from his pack, an oil Richard often used on himself for cramped muscles. She suspected what he might do, and was completely stunned by his actions.
When he began massaging the oil into her feet, she felt an involuntary moan leave her lips. She blushed, caught unawares. She struggled to speak.
Richard watched her as he carefully caressed one foot and then the other. His eyes never left her face, the smile never left his.
Nicci’s eyes were closed, her head lulled back with the look of utter contentment plastered on her face. She looked beautiful with the warm flutter of the fire casting off her skin.
He hardly noticed when his hands had begun taking a more daring journey. Her eyes flew open, the look of pure, unadulterated desire evident in her blue, blue eyes.
She looked as if she had been caught in a fantasy, face flushed and breath coming in short pants. It was then that Richard noticed where his hands had gone, and he too, blushed.
“Sorry,” he muttered, sliding his hands from her calves.
She reacted before she could think.
“No,” her breath made her words sound like a whisper. Like a leaf in the wind. She had to swallow to regain her trembling voice. “They are sore as well.”
Richard stared into her eyes intensely for a moment, she feared she might drown in the grayish-brown depths. Ever so slowly did his hands resume their magnificent caress. Nicci bit her lip again, feeling giddy and more like a woman than perhaps ever before. This was what Richard did to her. He managed to do what no other ever could. Stripping her bare of any defense, laying her open as the human being she was and not judging her except equally.
The fire begun to burn between them both, and she readily decided that she could do without her Han. If this was what Richard called the simple pleasures in life.
Item: Vidlet
Title: My hand over your heart.
Editor: mcc2040 aka MetalChickCrisis2040
Length: 1:22
Pairing: Richard/Kahlan
Song: I Remain
Artist: Alanis Morissette
Click to viewTitle: Simplicity
Author: mcc2040
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Richard/Nicci
Word Count: 1465
The day had grown from dawn to dusk slower than any other. What was supposed to be a trip away from D’Hara in order to teach Richard more about his Han had turned into an all out camping trip. And it was she who was learning from him, not the other way around. The Sorceress should have known not to challenge the Seeker. Her words had been countered, thrust right back at her. She thought it was just her bad luck, but soon realized that this was Richard’s natural way. Teaching without having to say a word.
The deal that had been struck was simple. If he were going to go along with her plan, they had to travel to the site she wished to train him on foot. She wasn’t allowed to use any Han to assist her during their journey. She was to do this as a woman, a woods woman. Nicci hardly minded at first. Looking at him as if he’d told her water was cold and that was the best way to drink it. However, once they had gotten to hiking, she found herself cursing the agreement. Her feet hurt, every muscle in her body was sore and strung tight from the long day. If only she had changed the location where the terrain wasn’t so back-breaking.
It was almost sundown when he turned to her, that damn smirk proud upon his face but not at all condescending. One thing she found she never understood about this man. How was he able to find humor and make her feel like the entirety of the situation were funny without somehow making her feel inadequate? There was no mock nor scorn. Nor an ‘I told you so’. There was simply him, and his beautiful smile, eyes shining like the vibrant colors that bathed him in warm, sunset vibes. She saw the world around him come alive. He and nature were as one.
“We can set up camp here. I’ll get our firewood if you take care of our bed rolls, and get the utensils out for our meal. I might as well catch us something good to eat while I’m out.”
He was gone a total of thirty minutes. She heard him before she saw him, making noise as to not frighten her. He tossed two hares down before her, and set down a large arm full of logs. It looked like he had taken the time to chop them, and she momentarily caught a glimpse of the small axe attached to his belt. Why was it that the simple act amazed her? Was it because she depended so much on her Han, that being without it now made her feel lost? Vulnerable? Of course, she could always call upon it if she wished. It was there. Singing beneath her skin, thrumming through her veins. Waiting.
But as per their agreement, she chose to let it be. And now she was taut with physical fatigue of the likes she hadn’t known for quite some time. Watching as Richard went about his manly task of getting their fire going, she marveled at the skill he did so with. After a full week of traveling, he was hardly winded. He never showed signs of discomfort. And when asked, he said that he was used to it. And that he preferred to feel these things, because they were apart of life. Nicci had chosen not to say anything more on the matter. He was right, after all. Always right.
“I saw a spring not too far from here if you want to relax your muscles. Dinner won’t be ready for a while yet.” He was looking at her now, knowingly. But still not in a manner to say that she was weak.
“If you are trying to suggest that I am dirty and in need of a bath, Richard, that’s not a very nice thing to imply to a lady.” she smiled. The tease in her voice was unmistakable, making Richard laugh heartily.
He shrugged and went back to skinning the hares, completely aware but remaining oblivious to the fact that Nicci’s eyes were on him.
She was biting her lower lip, staring at his back. Reprimanding her thoughts of wanting to see the skin beneath ripple with the muscle in his strong body. Her cheeks flushed, and she quickly drew her attention to the fire, clearing her throat.
The silence that passed was comfortable. Neither feeling as if they had to speak. Enjoying his company this way was much appreciated. She didn’t know how she was going to survive being alone with him much longer, knowing how her heart beat for him so. It was difficult, but not impossible. Still, now she wished that Cara had come along, but Richard had insisted she not. The Mord’Sith was more than reluctant to obey, but the thought of being around such powerful magic did little to appeal to the red leathered femme fatale.
After they had eaten their dinner, the sun was already down passed the mountains to the west. An orange glow hung over the sky beyond, stars beginning to show on their end. Nicci sat with her back to a log, a blazing fire before her as she wrapped the blanket around her shoulders tighter. Her feet still throbbed, but her legs and lower back were no better. Richard sat across from her, reading a book that she’d assigned to him. Finally, she could take the silence no more, needing to hear his voice and look into his eyes as he spoke to her.
“Alright. You were right, Richard. All of this traveling isn’t as easy as it looks, or as my Han allows it to be.” A slight groan curled from her parted lips as she went to move. Richard’s rumbling laughter brought her eyes heatedly to his own. “There is nothing funny about this, Richard Rahl. My feet hurt! My back feels like it’s been trampled by at least a dozen horses.”
“You’re just not used to it.” Richard said, shutting his book and setting it aside. He grabbed something from his pack and then stood up, walking over to her, kneeling at her feet. Nicci stared up at him, her heart feeling as if it might beat right out of her chest. “I can’t believe you’re complaining, though. It’s not like you.” He smirked.
Nicci scoffed, not knowing what he was planning, his dark eyes were sparkling in the firelight. It made her catch her breath before she was able to muster a retort. “It is not a complaint. I- what are you doing?”
Richard had hardly waited for her to finish. Instead, he gently grasped her ankle and brought her foot up on his bent knee. His hands were laved in the bottle he’d grabbed from his pack, an oil Richard often used on himself for cramped muscles. She suspected what he might do, and was completely stunned by his actions.
When he began massaging the oil into her feet, she felt an involuntary moan leave her lips. She blushed, caught unawares. She struggled to speak.
Richard watched her as he carefully caressed one foot and then the other. His eyes never left her face, the smile never left his.
Nicci’s eyes were closed, her head lulled back with the look of utter contentment plastered on her face. She looked beautiful with the warm flutter of the fire casting off her skin.
He hardly noticed when his hands had begun taking a more daring journey. Her eyes flew open, the look of pure, unadulterated desire evident in her blue, blue eyes.
She looked as if she had been caught in a fantasy, face flushed and breath coming in short pants. It was then that Richard noticed where his hands had gone, and he too, blushed.
“Sorry,” he muttered, sliding his hands from her calves.
She reacted before she could think.
“No,” her breath made her words sound like a whisper. Like a leaf in the wind. She had to swallow to regain her trembling voice. “They are sore as well.”
Richard stared into her eyes intensely for a moment, she feared she might drown in the grayish-brown depths. Ever so slowly did his hands resume their magnificent caress. Nicci bit her lip again, feeling giddy and more like a woman than perhaps ever before. This was what Richard did to her. He managed to do what no other ever could. Stripping her bare of any defense, laying her open as the human being she was and not judging her except equally.
The fire begun to burn between them both, and she readily decided that she could do without her Han. If this was what Richard called the simple pleasures in life.