Elena smiles. "Anything else you'd like to do tonight, Drago?"
Taking her hands and gazing into her eyes, he asks, "What would you like to do?"
"I'll be there Arista, don't you worry." Glancing at the moon once more, "Thank you for this, it helped." Turning towards the stairs, the young witch heads back down.
Arista sighs and watches her head back down before looking over at Alethiro, a worried look upon her face. "Do you think she'll be alright? I'm just....I don't know....I don't know what else to do for her except to make sure she knows that we're here for her if she needs us."
She shudders for a moment before wrapping her arms around Alethiro and leans against him, her head resting on his shoulder.
"I think we've done all we can for her tonight. I just pray she sleeps well." Alethiro replied. After a moment of silence, the Elf continued, "To think that tomorrow night, we will be together for the rest of our lives."
"I think some rest is in order after all you've been through today. You can wrap your arms around me and we can whisper in the dark," Elena says, a sultry overtone in her voice.
"Umm, yeah...Hehe..." the bard laughs nervously. "I'm sorry, I thought everyone'd be in bed by now and I really needed a bath."
Smiling, Drago responds, "I believe I can do that." Wrapping an arm around her waist, and bowing his head to her parents, the pair made their ways to the room and took comfort in each other's arms.
"That's fine, you don't need to sneak around. Nobody would object to you using the baths. By the way, thank you for such a wonderful performance at our wedding." Sādhanā
Jelks nods and blushes. "Umm, can you keep a secret?"
"I think we've done all we can for her tonight. I just pray she sleeps well." Alethiro replied. After a moment of silence, the Elf continued, "To think that tomorrow night, we will be together for the rest of our lives."
Arista sighs as she lifts her head to look up at the moon, "I feel so many things....happy, nervous, worried for Corda, excited about finally being with the one person I was meant to be with for the rest of our existence.....but, then there's also Drago's mother to deal with, the necromancers...." She pauses and looks back at him, the moonlight bathing her face in a soft glow. It's easy to see all the different emotions welling up in her, the look of concern in her eyes for Corda as well as their other friends.
While looking at him she smiles, "The one thing that keeps me going through all of it though....is knowing that you will always be beside me."
Glancing over at Clara, Sādhanā raises an eyebrow. "Sure"
"See, there's this problem with me...my body...and I don't want anyone knowing. If I need to take a bath, could one of you...um...guard the door?" Jelks asks, embarrassment and fear in her voice.
Thinking back on the odd and still mysterious things she'd found out about herself just a few hours earlier, Sādhanā can only speculate the cause for the young woman's concern. Feeling compassion from Clara flowing through the bond as well spurs her to reply.
"Of course we'll guard the door. You're problem...are you ok?"
"It's...I don't know...not fatal, I suppose."
"And if it wasn't for you, I'd have crossed a threshold that could never be uncrossed." After kissing her, he adds, "I suppose we'd better get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow." The Elf escorts the Aasamir back to her room, "I think it best we sleep in our own rooms. Good night my dearest." He then heads back to his own room.
After kissing him goodnight she changes and lays down in her bed. She lays there for a while thinking about things, but finally slips into a deep sleep.
"There's quite a gap between not fatal and OK. Sorry if it feels like prying, if you need help you only have to ask. You're safe here." the Anizari says in a comforting tone.
"Maybe at some point, I can get into it...It's really something you shouldn't bring up with acquaintances...Anyway, I should go," Jelks says hurriedly, before she leaves the fort.
"She seems nice, but strange. Maybe we can introduce her to Umina," Clara says with a smile. "There's a world of lonely people out there, yet they seem to come to us."
"That, is a wonderful idea, love. They really do seem to find us don't they?" Sādhanā says chuckling as she opens the door to one of the bathrooms.
"I have no idea why," Clara says, walking into the bathroom after her wife. "Perhaps Shelyn is telling us something."
She laughs as she strips off her clothing and waits for the hot water to fill the tub.
"Maybe part of saving Zahvroma is helping the lost find a little happiness? Because there's no where near enough on our plates already." she laughs, removing her clothing as well.
"But if that is what Shelyn asks after everything she's done for us, I'm happy to oblige."
"The gods are mysterious. Anyway, let's bathe and get some sleep," Clara says. "We'll have to find Arista and Alethiro a wedding gift."
"I agree whole heartedly."Sādhanā says stepping into the soothing hot water.
Clara relaxes and closes her eyes, nearly falling asleep in the water.
The bath was a perfect ending to an eventful day, the type of relaxing moment that reminded her of exactly why they were all willing to fight the unending tide of dangers that Zahvroma seemed to bring to bear on a daily basis.
In moments such as these, everything made sense. After enjoying a luxurious bath and heading back to their room, Sādhanā falls blissfully into bed pulling her wife in with her as the moonlight streams in through the window. The moon seeming to smile on both them and the other heroes of Zahvroma.
"Aliethia, I told you to remain behind."
"Sorry, mistress, but I wanted my revenge."
"So short-sighted. I've changed my mind about that anyway as I have other plans to attend to. Vencious will most likely be the next target, which means the south is no longer a viable option."
"What do you mean?"
"It doesn't matter. I must pull together the northern forces for when Drago and his friends arrive."
"What about your children?"
"That's why I am here. Come."
The two vampires walk into the spire, a lone throne occupies the room. A female figure wreathed in shadows sits upon it, her head low.
"Laenid."
"What do you want Chalandra?" the shadowy woman asks.
"I have come to ask you to repay your debt to me."
"I owe you nothing."
"You cannot talk to the mistress that way," Aliethia says angrily, striding forward.
The shadows move, forming into a large limb which swats Aliethia into a wall. "You should control your servants better, Chalandra."
"Yes, I should. I ask for one thing only and I consider our debt settled."
"Why do you think I care?" Laenid asks flatly.
"It's not my fault you squandered your domain."
"You turned me into a killer."
"You could have become like me, but you wanted to retain your precious humanity. I gave you exactly what you asked for."
"I never asked to live like this."
"Then I will take my gift back, if you do what I say."
"I'm listening..."
The next day arrives with the sun shining upon Valwick. The sea sparkles as the waves gently lap the shore.
Sienna rolls over in the bed. "...daylight..."
Clara opens her eyes and looks at her wife lovingly. I am so lucky.
"Good morning, love," she says, running her fingers through Sādhanā's hair.
Ylrhea quietly changes into her gear and makes a small prayer to Desna. She waits for Cyna and Sienna to wake up before moving around too much.
"Mmm....morning sweetheart." Sādhanā says dreamily as she opens her eyes to smile into Clara's green ones.
Cyna reluctantly stirs from her sleep. "Already?"
"Apparently..."
"Any idea what we should get the happy couple?"
"Hmm something that represents eternity or lasts forever? She's Angelborn from 500 years ago, and he's an elf that worships Pharasma. Eternity seem to be a common theme in their lives don't you think?"
"Hmm, that's true but I have no idea what would symbolize that. Do we plant a tree in their name?"
Ylrhea slips out from behind the curtain. "I've gotta go check on Rusty and Sath. I'll meet you guys in town later, alright?"
"That would be perfect! Maybe we could get a seed for an especially long lived tree from the Green Circle and plant it where they can always visit it. It can inspire lovers for centuries."Sādhanā says excitedly.
"Alright then, let's go see Elder Sister," Clara says brightly.
Sādhanā gives her wife an deep passionate kiss, holding for a while before getting out of bed and stretching languidly. "I wonder where the best place to plant it would be?"
"Is there any place in Valwick that's special to them both?"
"Well she said that she proposed on the beach, so that's special to them,not sure what kind of trees can grow there but I'm sure Elder Sister would know. Maybe somewhere overlooking the area where it happened?"
The sunlight warms her as she sleeps, the bed covers once again wound tightly around her as she wakes slowly. How do I keep doing that? Don't know how Alethrio is possibly going to be able to sleep with me at all if he never has any covers. The thought of sharing the same bed after tonight brings a slow sweet smile to her lips as she allows herself some time to just lay in the bed.
She takes her time waking up, stretching and yawning. She lays in the bed thinking about all the things she has to do to get ready for their big night. Suddenly, a thought occurs to her. Elsa! I still have to find Elsa and ask her about a gift for Alethiro. I want it to be something special....something that can remind him always of my love for him and show him just how much he means to me.
She gets up slowly and starts the process of getting ready for the day.
Ylrhea slips out from behind the curtain. "I've gotta go check on Rusty and Sath. I'll meet you guys in town later, alright?"
"Tell em' I said hello."
"Sure thing," Ylrhea says as she heads out the door.
"We better get to it then," Clara says, tossing a shirt at her wife.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
She detested the sunlight, but this is for something special. Even though Arista was a stranger in a technical sense, she accepted Esmerelda as family. She takes a deep breath, trying to stifle her laughter. Then she knocks.
*rap rap rap*
"Arista..."
*rap rap rap*
"Arista..."
*rap rap rap*
"Arista..."
Still in her nightgown, Arista walks over to the door and opens it a crack. "Eh Gods Esme...do you know what time it is? The suns out, why aren't you sleeping?" She says it with sarcasm and there's a huge grin on her face as she breaks into a fit of giggles. She opens up the door to let her in. Arista's hair doesn't even look like it's been brushed and there are dirty clothes all over the floor, but they seem to have been pushed up into a pile.
"It's your special day," Esmerelda says, walking in and tossing back her cloak. "I slept early. While I'm not fond of the daylight, I figured I would make an exception today. I also have a gift for you."
She produces a small wrapped box and holds it out to Arista.
Arista's eyes mist up as she takes the small box from her, "Ohhh, Esme....I hardly know what to say." With one hand holding the box, she steps forward and embraces Esme with her other arm. After a few moments she releases her and goes to the bed, flopping down on it she holds the box in amazement for a minute or so before carefully opening it.
Esmerelda smiles as Arista opens the box, revealing the delicate silver head band in the form of intertwining flowers. "'Thank you' is fine."
Catching the shirt with a laugh, Sādhanā puts it on, pulling on a pair of dark leather breeches as well, before slipping on a comfortable pair of boots. Braiding her hair into a single braid, she stands back up, buckling on her swordbelt.
"Ready when you are love."