[OOC] Dream
It was a beautiful morning, the sun high in the sky as the early-morning fog continued it's lazy journey across the land. She was standing in a clearing watching two men facing off against each other, preparing to duel over what one considered an affront to her honor. A feeling of horror flowed through her as she looked first at the man who had initiated the duel, her neutral expression hiding the fact that she was truly afraid this man would be killed today before her, and then at the man who had decided to 'claim her' as his own personal Companion.
To her right stood a well-known businessman, his calm demeanor and semi-amused tone indicating that this was certainly not the first duel he had witnessed. He leaned towards her slightly, providing his thoughts on the situation at the two men listened to the rules. "Do you think he realizes how good of a duelist he's facing?" the man asked with a gruff tone.
She shook her head slowly, wincing as the fighting began. Her heart was lodged firmly in her throat as she watch the one she cared for smirk as the wind blew through his dark hair. She blinked, shocked as the realization occurred to her that he had absolutely no idea that the reason why he appeared to be winning was because his opponent was clearly playing with him. "He's being toyed with...Don't fall for that!"
A scream was stifled in her throat as she watched the better fighter of the two assume a relaxed pose, which his opponent quickly attempted to use to his advantage unaware that it was simply a ruse. One quick moment and sword pierced flesh, cleanly opening a rather nasty wound in the taller man's side. His hand covered the wound as she waited, dumbstruck, to see what would happen next. The shorter of the two, confident in his eventual victory, pressed his advantage and rushed forward with his sword flying. Within a few moments the dark-haired man was on the ground, his sword broken beneath the boot heel of his opponent as he sneered up at him.
Without thinking she rushed forward, speaking quickly. "Wait! I'll stay here, exclusive, to you. Just...let him live."
Her momentary interference gave the grounded man all the distraction he needed as the one with the sword looked away to stare at her in reaction to her comment. Taking his chance, the man on the ground knocks the sword out of his opponent's hand, clubbing him across the jaw with the hilt of the broken sword. He quickly kicked up the freed sword and threw it at the other man, stabbing him through the chest. Stunned, the stabbed opponent manages to pull out the blade, just as another punch connects with his jaw dropping him to the ground.
A crowd gathers around, amazed at how the earlier scene has been reversed. The older man speaks, a note of finality in his voice. "He's down. You have to finish it, lad. You have to finish it. For a man to lie beaten, and yet breathing? It makes him a coward."
She comes forward, nodding in agreement. "It's humiliation." They both watch as the man grins, stabbing his opponent three times in non-fatal areas before throwing down the sword and turning to walk away in disgust. Without a second thought she joins him, wrapping her arms around his midsection to help him stay standing, the angry shouts of the fallen opponent behind them. Calling out to them in a tone filled with anger, she turned slowly as she listened to him.
"You set this up, whore. After I bought and paid for you. I should have uglied you up so much no one else'd want you."
A look of shock crosses her face as the man continues, claiming that he'll see to it that she never works again. A slow, careful, almost malicious grin settles on her face as she finally comments. "Actually, that's not how it works. You see, you've earned yourself a black mark in the client registry. No Companion is ever going to contract with you, ever again."
With that she shifted her position, assisting the man who fought to defend her honor back to his ship. Unspoken words hung between them in the air, but the respect they felt for each other was practically palpable.