The Blizzard [PuttyKat]

Thade tossed another log on the fire, glad to be deep within his many chambered lair rather than out in the storm blowing out in the forest. The minotaur had fires burning in each of the chambers, making sure the whole place was kept nice and warm. He rose, to check his supplies. It was a fierce storm, and he wouldn't be surprised if he ended up snowed in completely. As he walked through the entrance, though, he paused, catching a scent on the wind. A human? Looking out, he could see a lone figure struggling against the wind. What were they doing out there?

Evelyn struggled against the strong winds. Snow was being blown into her face and her cheeks had turned rosy red. She pushed the long strands of blonde hair out of her face and kept moving. Her fingers and toes were numb with cold and she wanted to give up and lay down. She couldn't though, her father, the king, expected her to be home. If she took to long he would be worried sick. That's what Evelyn told herself anyways, she knew it was because the cold would kill her though. She was so very close to death.

Eventually the chill of her bones gets to her, she lays down on the fresh blanket of snow and her eyes begin to drift shut. They flutter once, twice, three times. Then they snap open, there is a far away light shimmering to her out of the dark. She shifts so she is sort of sitting up. A tall figure nearly blocks all the light. Hoping it is friendly she calls out weakly, "Help!" Her voice is hoarse though and she is not even close to being loud enough for it to hear her.

Her head falls down onto the snow once more and the young woman passes out. Her last thought is that she has failed her father. She never did become a wonderful queen like he had hoped.

Thade's ears flicked at the sound of the woman's hoarse cry for help, barely able to hear over the howling winds. Thankfully for her, minotaurs could withstand the cold better than humans like her can, and he rarely ignored a cry for help. He grabbed a heavy cloak, pulling it on, and headed out into the storm to the fallen woman.

He scooped her up from the snow, hurriedly rushing her back to his lair. He did not pause in the entrance chamber, carrying her to the deepest part of the caverns, the one that served as his bedchambers. He set her down on his large bed of furs by the roaring fire, brushing some of the snow from her face. She was a lovely creature really, now that he had a good look at her. But he could concern himself with such matters later. He took off his cloak, setting it by the fire to dry, and keeping a close eye on the woman, to see if she would wake up now that she was in the warmth of his lair.

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It didn't take long for Evelyn to come back from unconsciousness. Her eyes landed on the Minotaur and she squealed, trying to scramble away from him. He was buff and quite handsome for a beast. Evelyn shakes that thought away, how can she think something like that? He's not even human!

Truth is Evelyn has always been accepting of other races. Her father wasn't though. He hated Goblins, Orcs, Elves, and all other non-human races. "W-what am I doing in here? Who are you?" He must have heard her plea for help, she's just surprised he helped her. Maybe he wants to eat her, her father always said Minotaurs were the most savage of beasts. Then again... he was her father.

Thade smiled to see the girl stir, her eyes opening up, squealing as she saw him. But she managed to squeak out a few questions."My name is Thade," He told her, "And you called for help, so I brought you in from the cold."

He glanced over her dress. It was finely made, as far as he could tell, but caked in snow still, now melting. She'd never get warm enough, if she still had that on. He grabbed an extra cloak he had from a nearby chest, tossing it to her. "Take off your clothes," He said, blushing a bit beneath his fur as he realized how that sounded, cleared his throat and quickly amended his statement. "You'll never get warm in wet clothing. Put it by the fire to dry." He turned and left the chamber, leaving her to change.

His eyes skim over her body and she covers herself up with her arms. His staring is making her uncomfortable. He commands her to take off her clothes and she gasps, blushing from her head to her toes. However he quickly clears up the confusion. As the beast leaves the room Evelyn runs the thick cloak through her fingers.

She strips out of her dress and tosses it carelessly by the fire, she has millions of others at home. Evelyn examines herself. Her skin is pale and covered in goose-bumps from being so cold, she was always pale however. Her skin was smooth with few flaws on it besides a scar running along her upper leg. She grimaces at the memories and quickly puts the cloak on. It is so large that it falls well past her knees. She ties it tightly and peeks out of her chamber, calling out to the Minotaur, "I'm all done."

Thade had been leaning against the stone wall when the girl peeked her head out of the chamber, calling out to him. He re-entered the chamber, glancing at her as he did. It was a rather intimate sight, really, seeing her in nothing but his cloak, but he tried to keep his mind off such subjects. As pleasant as it would be to have another body to warm his bed, she was probably scared out of her wits at the moment.

He settled down on a stool on the far side of the fire. "What's your name, human?" He asked, his voice a bit gruff, but calm, trying his best not to seem intimidating. "And what were you doing out in a storm like this?" He looked to the dress she'd tossed down by the fire. "You were hardly dressed for it."

"I'm Evelyn," she says softly. Her whereabouts of an hour or two ago are quite embarrassing. "I was visiting a male friend of mine," her face blushes crimson, "I had planned to stay a few nights, my father was feuding with his new wife again." She settles herself on his bed. "I dressed up very elegantly and rode my horse over there." Evelyn shudders at the memories.

"I'd care not to discuss what he did to me," she sighed sadly and leans against the wall, "thank you for saving me." His cloak shows a lot of her skin but it is the least of her concerns. "However in my rush to leave I didn't grab my cloak or my steed."

He watched the girl shudder as she recalled what had led to her becoming caught in the middle of the fierce storm, her words making it clear that her friend had been less than gentlemanly with her. Perhaps, when the storm had cleared, he'd search out the man and give him a bit of a scare.

"Well, you may be here for a few days," He said, "I'm not sure how long the storm will last, and with as much snow as we've gotten so far, I have a feeling we'll be snowed in. But at least you'll be warm and there's more than enough supplies for the both of us."

"Thank you," Evelyn murmurs, stifling a yawn. "I regret my thoughts about Minotaurs now that I have met one. My father always told me they were savage, however you have shown otherwise." The fire is beginning to warm her up, the feeling is coming back into her fingers and toes.

"I suppose I won't have to worry about the King's men coming to kill me then, after you return home?" He asked with a chuckle-though it was always a concern lurking in the back of his mind. There certainly were savage minotaurs-but most of those he'd seen fall at the hands of the kings had just been trying to live their lives peacefully, like anyone else.

(( Sorry, I've been gone forever   ))

"Of course not,"Evelyn says with a laugh, "the last thing I would do is turn you in to my father. Although he has always been wary of Minotaurs, I am not." She watches him for a moment before whispering something, "perhaps I could even get you permission to visit the kingdom sometimes, all Minotaurs. I've told him many times that just because you are beasts doesn't mean you are evil."

[[No worries.]]

"Your father?" He asked, rather surprised that he had a princess in his midst. Her clothes were of high quality, but he suspected she was, at most, a noble. He didn't expect to see a princess running around without guards, after all. "Forgive my cynical nature, princess," He told her, "But I somehow doubt you'll be able to convince him."

Eve sighs, he was probably right. "Well at the very least I must do something for you. I am in your debt, if you ever need something do not hesitate to ask. If you ever need to ask anything of me after I return just send a pigeon." Suddenly she doubts he'd be able to use pigeon mail, they'd probably be scared of hm.

"I'll keep that in mind," He said, though he wasn't sure how he'd get a pigeon. Glancing over her body again, something certainly did come to his mind, but he hardly wanted something like that as a favor. "Anything you need, Evelyn?" He asked, trying to get his mind on something else.

"No," she said and then thought for a moment, "well I am still a bit cold." She shivered a little and scooted closer to the fire. She had warmed up some but she was used to the very warm castle, his cave seemed a little chilly compared to her home.

He grabbed an extra fur, walking over and draping it over her shoulders, before he settled down besides her, close to the fire. "I have fire burning in the other chambers," He explained, "Eventually the whole cave should be nice and warm, but for now we'll just have to wait it out.