A New Start

[Vrelt]

((This is the thread for Moll and Truglim that occurs right after the feast.))

The feast was clearly over as the various beasts filed out of the dining room, and Truglim made his way out as well. It was never comfortable for him to be stuck in a confined place along with beasts he didn't know or trust, and he only came to support Moll. Otherwise, he would have avoided this feast completely. Truglim wished to be back at sea, away from all the problems went on at Sampetra, but he knew it wouldn't be the same without Moll. That was the only reason he managed to keep himself from joining up with the crew of one of the fleet's ships.

Truglim stood at the other side of the door, waiting for Moll to come out of the dining room while all the other beasts left. He leaned against the wall with a calm expression on his face, somehow he kept his cool throughout the boring and long feast, despite his dislike of it.

((Shortness....))

[carabadgermum]

Moll remained seated at the table. She was glad it was over and no one had been killed. She appreciated Calista's advice and the loyalty of her General, Admiral and body guards. She wondered absently where Larka had gotten to and if the words of Krauser had affected stoatmaid more than she let on. And then she remembered that Truglim was waiting for her.

The weaselmaid smiled. But she didn't want to see him here. She'd had enough of the palace for one night. "Geoffrey," she put out a paw and stopped the servant when he passed by her chair. "Could you tell Mister Truglim to meet me at the usual place?" She whispered confidentially. She was glad to know that she could trust the old stoat to keep her confidence.

[Vrelt]

Geoffry nodded, "Of course, Madam. I'll see to it." The old stoat lacked sarcasm with his response to Queen Moll, for a reason known only to him. ((Not really, I just can't come up with anything else for him to say. LOL)) The old stoat turned away from Moll, heading back to the door, where Truglim waited on the other side. He stepped out and addressed the half-breed, "Mister Truglim," He emphasized the word mister, with a bit of sarcasm. "Queen Moll wants to meet you at the usual place."

Truglim didn't reply to the old sarcastic stoat, and he merely nodded to him before starting to walk away, headed now to the Crow's Nest. The half-breed always looked forward to meeting Moll there, away from all the finery at the Palace, and away from all these other beasts. Truglim started in a quick pace, his paws carrying him toward the tavern with as much speed without running.

[carabadgermum]

Once she knew her message had been carried to Truglim the queen hurried to a secret place where she had hidden a hooded cloak and a change of clothing. She didn't want to take the time now to change out of her gown from the feast but she did take off the silk slippers and tied on her boots. She wrapped the cloak around herself and kept to the shadows slipping by her own guards and out into the fresh air away from the stuffy atmosphere of the palace.

Moll breathed deeply she was finally free for a few precious hours. And she wouldn't waste them. With all speed she raced for the place she thought of as her true home, the Crow's Nest tavern. Her old room waited for her there and assuming he had gotten the message, so did Truglim.

[Vrelt]

Truglim's swift pace brought him into the town quickly, and he moved through the streets toward one particular tavern. Once he was arrived in front of the Crow's Nest, he wasted no time in rushing into the old building, and straight to Moll's room there, where she was yet to arrive. The half-breed hoped that Moll would show up soon, if she had no more entanglements at the palace, she would be here in a matter of minutes. Truglim looked forward to speaking to Moll, without the eyes of all those other beasts watching his every move.

((Darn shortness.....))

[carabadgermum]

Moll also navigated the streets with relative ease. This was her island after all. She had grown up on these streets long before she was named queen.

The new cook was just wiping down the bar when the cloaked figure burst through the door. He nodded to her to let her know that the coast was clear and her friend had already arrived. Moll nodded back and wasted no time making her way back to the room that had once been her home.

She closed the door behind her and locked it. Then she dropped her cloak and ran into Truglim's arms. "I thought that dreadful feast would never end."

[Vrelt]

For a moment, Truglim delighted in the feel of the beast in his arms, happy to finally be rid of all those others so that it was now just the two of them. The half-breed held her in his arms as he replied, not desiring to ever let her go from his embrace. "I know. It's not somethin' I enjoy either, Moll. Bein' stuck with all those other beasts drives me crazy." Truglim always felt out of place at that palace, among all those other beasts; he felt at home only when he was at sea, or when he was here at the Crow's Nest, with Moll. Though it became more and more difficult for them to see each other every night, Truglim always managed to be here, waiting for Moll to show up. Every night she couldn't make it, Truglim found himself wishing for the simple days, when he was just a seabeast, with no duties here, but his feelings for Rawnwave's daughter kept him at Sampetra, despite his dislike of being stuck on land for so long.

[carabadgermum]

"I'm sorry . . ." Moll shrugged her cape off her shoulders and kissed him. "for making you endure that. I don't think I would have been able to get through it."

Truglim had been her lifeline in these past few weeks. Between all the lessons and fittings and everything else that she had had to submit to so that she could learn to be a proper queen, this plain sailor had been there to keep her grounded. He was not only lover, friend and confidant but he had also known her father. She didn't want to ever loose that connection or to loose him.

She was glad Drask was back from his mission to Mossflower and could advise her in military matters and she liked this pure ferret, Callista, that he had brought back with him. They were good friends and seemed to honestly want to help her become the queen that Sampetra needed her to be. But she knew that nobeast could replace what Truglim was to her.

She smiled at him seductively, "Is there anything I could ever do to make up for it?"

[Vrelt]

Truglim smiled slightly back, "Well, there is a something you can do." Moll had been nothing but kind to him since he told her he would stay at Sampetra, to help Walon Vau. Though each day was a huge challenge for the former seabeast, he managed to keep himself on land, but only because of the new Queen. Truglim would have gone crazy from being stuck here, had it not been for Moll, and getting to see her almost every night. He was convinced this would make her happy, and it was clear that it did, so he was able to give up his former life of a pirate for this weaselmaid. The half-breed liked some of the beasts here, including that Walon Vau, and even Drask to some extent, but it wasn't his kind of place. A seabeast normally loved going ashore, but only for a brief period, before the ocean started calling their names again. Truglim was well aware that the sea was "calling" him, and he forced himself not to heed that call. He felt a bit uncomfortable even though he held Moll in his arms, he tried to keep his discomfort away from her, though.

[carabadgermum]

Being with him like this was bittersweet knowing that it could be the last time. She wanted to savor every moment and memorize every part of him. She knew she would love him always no matter what pitiful replacement her advisors found to be the respectable father for her heirs. She had resisted their counsel for as long as possible but now at least she would be able to give Truglim what she knew he wanted most. How she longed to go with him.

Moll's mind wasn't on all those things now. She forced herself to think only of his paws, his fur, his body. . . it wasn't long, though, before she noticed that her own cheeks were wet with tears.

[Vrelt]

Of course, Truglim knew nothing of Moll's plans to let him go, back to being a seabeast, where he belonged. Though she had informed him of the prodding of her advisers, urging the Queen to pursue a beast fit to be a respectable father, a mold that Truglim did not fit into, at least according to the advisers. The half-breed never liked how the society ruled the lives of the very beasts that controlled the islands, including Moll, but there was nothing he could do to change the inevitable, even if he refused to admit it.

Truglim didn't fail to notice that tears fell from the eyes of the beast that he held closely to him, and the half-breed held Moll tighter, refusing to let go of the creature that meant so much to him since the day they met, a day he would never forget. He spoke to Moll in a soft voice that didn't match that of a former pirate, addressing his concerns. "What's th' matter, Moll?" Truglim had a few thoughts about what troubled the weaselmaid now, but it was best that he made no assumptions, for he didn't want to believe he would never see her again, like they saw each other now.

[carabadgermum]

"We're star-crossed, you and me," she pulled away just enough to look into his eyes. "Just like my Mum and Dad were. The whole world is Gates-bent on keeping us apart." She smiled sadly. "And it looks like I don't get anything like my Mum got to remember you by." She was talking about herself of course. She remembered the way her mother would sometimes look into her eyes as if she saw Horatio there.

It was killing her to continue but Moll knew she must. "It's not fair of me to keep you here. I - I know that. I've been so selfish demanding that you stay this long." She broke off, searching his face wanting just to know that she was not the only one who felt this parting was like tearing her soul in two.

Then she looked away from him. She couldn't bear to see his reaction to her next words. "There's a ship waiting. Ready to depart at the dawn. It - It's yours."

[Vrelt]

Truglim felt as if a part of him was being forcibly torn away, as Moll explained everything to him, and of course, he didn't like what she said. Though he always dreamed of having his own ship, that would mean nothing if he gained it by losing the best friend he ever had, but deep within, he knew what Moll was painfully saying was true. Fate had conspired to keep the two beasts apart; there was nothing that could keep them together now. A look came over the half-breed, bearing all the sadness and pain he felt over losing Moll this way, but he fought away tears, though his eyes felt as if they would erupt with them.

The half-breed swallowed hard, still feeling like this was a fate far worse than death, losing Moll Rawnwave. He forced himself to speak, his voice sounded weak, as if he just got through taking a serious beating at the paws of some unknown enemy. "I... I don't want to take it, Moll. Not at this cost." Truglim knew he would have no say in stopping Moll from giving him a ship, for she was the Queen, and he was nothing but a lowly half-breed former seabeast. That was why they couldn't remain together, because of this blasted society that would only allow Moll to have a royal beast as father of her heirs. Or at least a creature of higher standing than him. Truglim spoke again, tears threatening to spill as he did so. "It doesn't matter, I'd rather be stuck here with you, than be anywhere else." Whatever he said now didn't matter, this was over. Moll would find a better beast, he would return to the sea where he belonged, but neither of them thought that they would enjoy getting those rewards, for parting like this was more painful than being torn apart than one of those monitors.

[carabadgermum]

Moll held tightly to him as if she could make up for a lifetime apart in just one night together. "I wish I could go with you. I'd leave all this in a second. I think I understand now why my Dad never went back to Terramort. Stargazer, I - I love you. . ."

He would go of course and she would stay. This was her island. Somehow it always had been even before anyone called her queen. Sampetra needed her and Truglim needed the sea.

"Make tonight last forever," she whispered fervently to him. "Nothing else matters, just you and me here together now."