Solomon

Linden smiled and his heart soared as she laughed happily at his words and the offered bouquet. "You have a wonderful laugh~" He saw the beginnings of a blush but she tilted her head and a veil of her snow white hair blocked his view. He cocked his head as she began to and gave up on explaining the situation he shrugged at her assertion that he would remember in time. Regardless of what had happened everything had turned out fine in the end and now he was alone with her, he planned on doing the best he could with that. He propped himself up and exchanged the snowdrops for the bowl of water with a small nod. With both hands he raised it to his lips and drank deeply; the water was cool, but not cold, and very refreshing. He hadn't realized how parched he was until he started drinking. He drained the bowl. As he finished the water with a satisfied sigh he looked back at Lynette. She had put the flowers in her hair! Lin's face lit up that small gesture was heart warming, a blush colored his cheeks now as he looked at her. Then she laid down next him he flashed her another smile. If anyone were to look at them like this they would certainly think that the couple was a pair of young lovers and Linden was determined to make that the truth. "Tea would be lovely, later. And if your going to make me tea... then I suppose I should do something to earn it. I'm quite sore from before I passed out, you must be too. Perhaps I could massage you; help you relax. You did after all take care of me. I owe you; I need to pay you back somehow~" He absentmindedly twirled a finger in his own green hair as he looked into her violet eyes. His eyes glimmered happily; he knew his intentions were most likely incredibly transparent to her, but she had laid down next to him anyway. Eventually this beautiful Winter Knight would be melting into his arms.

Linden grinned as she stammered and her jaw dropped polite and shy, a difficult combination but once he worked his way around it oh it would be well worth his effort. Then she pushed him off and he relented looking at her in confusion his expression hurt, demanding an explanation. Hurt I-I do feel sore but I thought it was just from our earlier entanglement... I feel fine now I should be... thinking straight. As she mentioned keeping him warm he grinned but his reaction seemed to stir irritation and the smile slowly faded. He grew pensive as she extricated herself from him and stood up, he was momentarily distracted seeing her ass in tight leather pants. It was all he could do to stop himself from pinching it. She was staring, she is attracted to me but something is keeping her from enjoying my presence. He watched her fill the bowl with snow and he was struck by another memory her hand at his throat squeezing he frowned there were probably winterfae that did enjoy doing that in bed but she didn't strike him as one, even if he did think she would be wild. Something was very wrong, Lynette was right, so he relaxed abandoning his plan of being completely naked by the time she turned around. He looked at Sarissa and drew her close whispering for her to get some seeds from his pouches at the foot of the bed with his clothes. When she returned with them he grew a bouquet of snowdrops lovely white flowers. He cleared his throat, "I may not remember things clearly but I am thinking straight I'm sorry if I got the wrong impression when I awoke to seeing a woman lying next to me more beautiful than the first snowfall of winter and whose cheeks looked like sugar plums when you blushed at my kiss." He sighed and stopped waxing poetically, he really did want to get in her pants he tried to bring himself back under control. "I'm sorry. Thank you for taking care of me after... whatever it was that happened before." He held out the snowdrops to her. "Now lie back down next to me, it was nice... Keep me warm, and if you want to take some clothes off... I promise I'll behave."

He gave her an easygoing smile as she seemed shocked by the kiss. He kissed her again to emphasize his point and let out a light laugh as he spoke, "I was right you are shy. Why silly I'm trying to get in your pants. I should think most women would want to enjoy the company of the handsome man they undressed and cared for. Honestly I'm a little surprised I didn't wake up to you riding me." Then he realized something, the faint chill of her skin, she was of winter! "Oh shit you're an emissary of Winter aren't you?" He giggled heartily and hugged the woman closer. "Oh Titania will be pissed when she finds out lucky for me she owes me a favor so I can probably weasel my way out of punishment. As for you well I won't tell Mab and neither will any other summerfae so your secret is safe." He kissed her neck again and pulled her close grinding against her. He spoke needily, "Come on get those damn leather pants off, Lynette." He remembered more they had such similar names that was funny and almost certainly part of the reason he had set out to bed her.

Linden awoke slowly his head pounding. He wondered what he had been doing to cause this. Then he saw the form of a beautiful woman lying next to him and felt the deep cushions of a forest glade in the twilight areas of summer beneath him. So that's what it was. He admired her as she stared at the canopy lost in thought starlight twinkling in her beautiful violet eyes. She had a sweet face and lips perfect for kissing. He started to lift his arm to catch her in an embrace and... but he stopped something was wrong he couldn't remember bedding this lovely lady before him and he wracked his mind. Flashes came back intense passion, rolling in the mud, and her straddling him. He smiled again they must have really gone at it, his foggy mind was likely a result of experiment with aphrodiacal plants. Mmm they had gone at it in the mud but he felt clean. Oh she must have cleaned him. He shifted slightly and felt underwear on him as his erection grew against the fabric. That was silly why did she bother with that? She must be shy when not going at it, that must be it the shy ones always were wildest in bed. Something was still nagging him. Why am I not kissing her already? Then he realized Sarissa was laying on him staring at the woman angrily. She had acted jealous towards some of his lovers in the past but this was more intense. He frowned he couldn't figure out what it was. But he had a beautiful woman before him and he wanted to create some lasting memories with her. He lifted his arm and gently moved Sarissa away before throwing his arm over the lovely lady that shared this bed. Some more details came back to him as he kissed her cheek he let out a light giggle and then spoke, "You must have taken me to saftey, my dazzling heroine. Where's you armor? Not that I mind seeing you without it in fact I wouldn't mind seeing you with much less, so I can properly thank you for protecting me~"

As he reached our he noticed her tense like a wild animal and he relaxed trying to get her to calm down. He smiled kindly when she reffered to him by his name. "Thank you Lady Syrabane." She looked him in the eyes and he held her stare his gaze full of concern. When she conceded he smiled and gingerly held her injured hand in his. "I'm so sorry, I didn't want to hurt you, even if you did anger me, oh if I hadn't been so foolish I could have avoided this with the trap, should of kept the roots up." When she expressed concern for his well being it was his turn to look at her in surprise. He expected some taunting when she pointed it out but there was no cruelty in her words. "Oh don't worry about me, I healed the worst of my wounds during the fight." The truth was he could feel only a faint pain from his neck the cold causing a loss of sensation which he knew was bad but the room was only getting warmer now and the neck tended to heat up quickly her wound needed more attention. His hands glowed with a faint white light and the wound on her hand quickly vanished along with the bite on her nose. "Hey I think I feel a little better too." Linden then passed out.

Linden waited for a few moments with dread hoping that she didn't have some final attack for him. Relief washed over him as she agreed to the truce. Then guilt as he saw her cradle her injured hand. He staggered to his feet and walked carefully over to her. He collapsed to his knees next to her and gingerly reached out to her injured hand. "Sorry... Are... are you alright, Lynette? Let me take a look at that I can heal it."

As he charged towards her she got up much quicker than he had anticipated. He tried to hit her but she slammed her shield into him and he waa knocked aside and sent tumbling across the muddy ice. He staggered to his knees clutching his chest and panting as the barkskin continued to crumble sloughing off of him, much more quickly now as protecting him from that final blow had drained the rest of its power. Lin looked over himself. He was bruised, his muscles were aching, he was sweating far more than he was used to, covered in mud, and just plain exhausted. He looked over at his opponent and she appeared to be in the same position. He coughed several times and then asked in a worn out voice, "Truce?"

Her punch landed jarring him as he recovered a grim satisfaction filled him as he realized she was much worse off than him. Although he felt tinges of guilt for causing someone such pain he didn't want to waste the opportunity, as he could feel the power of the bark skin beginning to wane. He lashed out with a kick to knock her down as she stumbled back off of him. His barkskin helmet withered and crumbled and he returned her surprised look as she fell with a stern glare as he stood. He moved to pin her so he could do what she had been planning to do to him only moments ago.

As he went for a second strike to her head she ducked low and bowled him over he maintained his grip however and towed her to the ground with him. With a shout of alarm he landed face first. Dizzied he was slow in rolling over and so Lynette ended up atop him and going for a pin she was partly effective, but grunting with effort he got an arm free. He punched her thigh as that was the area easiest to reach with the least armor, but that didn't stop the blows coming towards his face. He grew thick dense thorns on his face plate hoping to injure her hands. He winced as her fists swung towards him.

The uppercut clipped the side of his head as he tried to move out of the way but with the barkskin he it merely rattled him for a split second. He moved to grab her shield arm to stop her incoming attack. "Fucking cruel harridan!" He used it to haul her closer and thrust his head forward trying to headbutt her. Lin was going to press the advantage of being completely armored unlike Lynette who lacked a helmet. He pulled his head back to slam it into her again.

Doing pretty good. Enjoying getting back in the swing of thibgs on ED. I have @Icarian Dreams to thank for a fun new character.

He gasped as she grabbed his neck and lifted him to his feet he clutched and clawed at her arm. As he struggled in defiance she sent her power into her grasp and he gritted his teeth in silent pain as frost bite degan to spread on his neck. As he continued his stare of defiance, Sarissa lashed out at Lynette sinking her fangs into her nose and letting go as Lynette reeled back in surprise and let go of Linden. Linden's heart surged with pride for his loyal pet as he began to intertwine the roots around his limbs. They withered away as thick bark spread across his skin embuing him with the strength and resilience of the mighty oak temporarily banishing the drained feeling he had from using so much magic. Hopefully the boost would allow him to take on a trained close quarters combat fighter. He threw a punch at Lynette's face hoping to knock any confidence from her. As the bark crawled up his throat he spoke, "I don't think so... we haven't seen how you fare against an actually armored opponent." as he finished the bark formed a helmet covering his head.

Lin's confidence drained as he heard a sharp crack issue from the stone he should have kept the boubds or sttacked when she refused to answer. he tried to reinforce it but he was to late. The stone burst and he raised his arms to protect his face. He was slammed into by Lynette's charge knocking him back and to the ground. He screamed out in pain the metal of the shield had been so cold it burned and no doubt some of his skin was stick to it. Clutching his exposed midrifg desperately he administered some healing to his wounded midriff as he scrabbled backwards away from her in the icy mud. He had to get ready for her next attack, he moved the roots through the ground to himself. Panting and scared he was nevertheless determined he hadn't lost just yet.

Linden felt a surge of excitement and relief as she was caught in his trap. He had to close the distance now. Linden didn't really see a graceful way to approach quickly and decided to slide over graclessly on his butt. He smirked at her useless thrashing as the roots wound around her tighter. He raised a dome of stone over her finally and completely trapping her. He had the roots let her go there was no reason to make her suffer unduly. "Do you yield?"

As he pulled her off balance Lynette swiped at him with her shield he jerked his head back as that appeared to be where she was aiming but as she fell her strike connected with his thigh. He gritted his teeth in pain that was going to leave a nasty bruise. Lin tried to keep pulling her off balance circling her and pulling at the leg which his whip was wrapped around buying time for the roots of the oak to grow closer to her. Then she fired a ray of frost at him forcing him to slack his grip to dodge. She took the opportunity to sever his whip and he dropped its useless remnants. He backed up slightly as she stood and moved to dodge as she fired another ray of frost, but it wasn't aimed at him. His eyes widened in realization she was going to freeze the ground and remove his only advantage the ability to control the terrain. He had to spring his trap now. As she took her first step onto the large icy patch she had created the roots of the oak burst from the ground seeking to twine around her legs, body, and arms.

As the pillar crashed into the ice Lin watched his opponent stumble, slip, and then make a slide headed in his direction as she slid towards him he prepared to raise a wall for her to slam into at the last second. As he waited tense he check on the oak and was glad to sense it was still alive he diverted a portion of his energy to continue to grow it's roots. Lin tensed as she grew close. She jumped off however and the wall only served to prevent him from being hit from the disk of ice. It shattered violently gouging the wall. His heart lept to his throat and he was filled with dread, she was going to kill him if she got the chance. He stepped back on the now muddy ground away from a clumsy blow from the other changeling as she stumbled. He lashed out with the whip seeking to wrap it on the leg that held most of her weight at the moment and pull her off balance.

Linden sensed her halt through the icy ground and felt her slice through the vines he had sent after her. He smiled and grew the vine from the severed portion but she finally used her magic and froze them freeing herself and creating a barrier. He cursed quickly began forming the crown of thorns into a makeshift whip. That done he then doubled his focus now on growing out the root system of the tiny oak sapling before him. Then he could no longer sense her presence, he panicked looking forward at the opening seeing nothing he looked up to see her weaving her hands through the air. He felt a chill that was anything but metaphorical he hurriedly put a small mound of earth over the sapling and covered that with a frost resistant lichen to better insulate the tiny oak. It was the best he could do in the little time he had, he had to hope it would work. He felt Sarissa coil about him as the temperature dropped further and the wind began moving more quickly. He grabbed the whip he had fashioned out of the crown of thorns, dropped a section of the wall and moved out of the burgeoning blizzard. He slumped against the wall teeth chattering hugging himslef and cursing himself for leaving his midriff exposed. He still had the presence of mind to straighten out the circular wall to weaken the vortex of frost by forcing the winds to buffet against stone rather than being funneled. He glanced over at the icy structure Lynette had created and sent a pillar of stone to crash into it and hopefully knock her to the ground. He stood shivering and readied the whip he had made from the crown of thorns.

Linden scrambled out of the way of the wave of frost still holding the acorn. He had been right in assuming she could and would use cold to attack him. He threw his power into the earth and raised a small semicircular wall out of the ground to protect himself from projectiles. He maintained a small portion of it in the ground to keep track of her movements. He now more than ever wished he had fire magic as so many of the Summer Court did. But alas he'd have to do without. He sent his power out to first the cotton grass being an arctic plant it thrived in the cold and Lynette had just so generously provided the right climate. Tall grass clumps with one taller section holding a small white ball of fluff rose around (but not on) her pathway. They were used as cover for the wisteria vines that hadn't been in the blast. He had them reach out to grab and ensnare her. This would also be a useful test to see if her armor was enchanted. Knowing his luck, and the reuptation of the Winter Court, it almost certainly was. To impede her progress he had the roses, he had only picked the hardy sort which could handle the cold and grew them in small arches over her path. The crown of thorns would largely be useless with the cold so he grew only the ones closest to him along with the now planted acorn.

No mercy from the winterfae of course. Linden might be unarmed and unarmored but he had his wits and his magic they had been enough in the past and would have to be now too. He grabbed some seeds and assumed a figthing stance. He readied his magic pooling power into the seeds in his hand. He returned her gaze and nodded. "Ready, frosty." He threw the seeds (well spores but thats trivial) at her and they exploded rapidly into ferns which grew rapidly into ferns which withered before the reached her but let out more spores in the air. He hoped they would distract her and maybe eve mess with her vision. Linden ran away from her to the softer ground in the center of the arena he used his magic to mess up the concrete of the outer areas of arena hoping to slow Lynette down so he could prepare a trap. He began scattering seeds namely Wisteria vines, crown of thorns, roses, and cotton grass. And readying one choice acorn for the big trap he had planned.

Linden's smirk left his face. Shock and outrage built up to a raging inferno within him. He blinked in surprise she challenged him to a duel? She was the one who had cornered and sought out him. He had done his utmost to avoid her. He glances down at her blade and clenches his fists. "Are you freaking kidding me!? You were hounding me. You cornered me and spoke down to me from the start and you expected respect?! You give me none and so you shall get none in return." He took several deep breaths he hadn't wanted to fight her but his temper was positively boiling now. This blunt brutish oaf would get what she deserved if she pushed for a duel. "Servants of Winter prey on weakness had I shown you any deference you never would have let me live it down. I don't wish to fight you but if you wish to construe my statements as an attack and stretch the definition of a direct attack on your pride well so be it. We are in the perfect place for it after all." Both Linden and his pet snake raise their chins in a defiant gesture. Daring Lynette to move ahead with the duel.

Linden huffed at Lynette's angry response, he should have known better than to hope for even a shred of mercy from a servant of winter. Her mention of Queen Titania was interesting. Why would she think I'm here on her behalf... unless no...it couldn't be. He let out an exasperated sigh he had done his utmost to convince the Queen of Summer to allow him to go when she likely would have made him had he not wished to go, he was once again stuck in another of her plots. He'd have to compliment her on fooling him so well the next time he spoke with her. He approached his wintry opposite cautiously. "Well Lynette, if you didn't hear during the attendance of our classes, I'm Linden." A smile grew on his face as he grew more confident in Lynette's reason for being at the school. He wagged a finger admonishingly "You should refrain from giving empty threats. Students aren't supposed to have weapons unless they are for a sport like fencing and if you attacked me... the academy would no doubt throw you out. You, and by extension the Winter Court, would owe a serious debt to the academy and possibly the Summer Court. I wonder how the Queen of Air and Darkness would treat a vassal that so blatantly broke the rules of this groundbreaking academy. I hear she can be quite... imaginative with her punishments." Linden paused to let his words sink in. "Though you may doubt it I did come here to learn, to broaden my horizons, and improve my skills in magic and other areas. Do you have any other questions?"

Linden felt a chill as he heard the quiet click of metal shod shoes on stone. It couldn't possibly be... He froze and his hands went to the two sectioned pouches of seeds at his waist. (Quite useful even if they did occaisonally attract the attention of birds, Sarissa thankfully helped dissuade them most of the time.) As he heard the icy voice from behind him his head was filled with the warnings he had recieved of the Winter Court. Cold, cruel, crafty, and forged by a constant struggle of survival of the fittest engaged by the Queen of Air and Darkness. As she finished speaking Linden turned slowly. He had, of course, noticed Lynette throughout his classes. Her cold beauty, like that of a pristine mountain top in winter, her almost militant focus, the fact she was armored AND armed, and the frosty glares she'd thrown in his direction had made her impossible to ignore. Linden frowned and rolled his eyes. "Summer child..." He shook his head. "Fey of Winter really need to pick a new insult hearing that gets so old." He sighed his gaze settled on her hand clutching the sword at her hip. How the hell did she get it past the guard? Linden backed up a few steps she might be beautiful as the Sidhe of Winter so often are, but that would mearly mask the threat she posed. Linden returned her icy gaze defiantly. The serpent on his shoulders mimicked him staring directly at Lynette. "I was schemeing on the best way to avoid you, since you have been following me! Oh and my greater plan at this institute of learning, that you are no doubt curious about, is GASP to learn!" The expression of mock shock quickly left his face returning to a stern glare. His snake, Sarissa, hissed in mock laughter. "Tell me, would the best hunters of the Winter Court have been so obvious in their animosity and pursuit?" He gritted his teeth biting back harsher insults. He'd have to ignore the passionate fires of summer within, they were stoking his emotions a little too much. He was angry that he had been hounded and unable to enjoy the first few days of school because of her. But the fury he felt was mostly due to the rivalry between Summer and Wintern it was stoked by Summer's power not his own emotions. He held his arms up apologetically. "Is it too much to ask to be left alone?"

[OOC Linden x Lynette] It was an early afternoon after class when Linden entered the arena. He looked around furtively hoping to find an area to himself finally. The day had been interesting... While he had been glad to learn, the rooms had been much more claustrophobic and darker than the glades of the Realm of Summer had ever been. He had gotten over it relatively quickly and kept himself distracted with the sheer variety of other beings at the school. He also attracted attention to himself in his first herbalism class due to his enthusiasm and knowledge on the subject. The comforting presence of his pet snake rested on his shoulders and he raised a hand petting her gently. "Well today was great. Huh, Sarissa? There was a moth girl, a human, a ghost, a scylla, a zombie, and the teachers. Oh wow." The serpent hissed on his shoulder. "No we aren't talking about her. Yes, she was in every class." His thoughts return to a particularly frosty individual that was in all of his classes. He had managed to leave all of the classes before her and avoid her in the halls and now in a large relatively deserted part of the school he relaxed.