Doira'Liim (The Beautiful Whisper of the Goddess Saga) (48 page)

     What should have been a relatively short one to two days' walk to Talliea and Arizira's location turned into anything but for Lao'dahn. The young man was unaccustomed to the trails and paths and trees that surrounded him. Though he was no stranger to long treks and surviving with very little provisions, he was not skilled in trail finding and had soon become rather turned around in the forest.

     The first day, he had concentrated on gathering edible nuts and berries and had even managed to catch a fish in a stream that had not completely frozen over. Shelter had been simple enough for him. He was used to harsh conditions and so finding a place to hunker down for a few hours had been easily accomplished. The second day had come and he had been reluctant to admit his consternation that none of his fellows had come looking for him.

     No matter. The Light always shines the brightest in the darkest gloom, he had told himself.

     On the night of his third day out, Lao'dahn found himself going over various markers and geographical formations in the hopes of better understanding his surroundings. He'd had a very nagging feeling of being watched for most of the day and so had decided to take a small respite to focus his thoughts. As he sat against the base of a massive boulder, covered with snow and leaves and moss, he stared into his small and dying fire and kept his cloak pulled tight against him.

     He hated the forest when the sun went down. The trees took on a haunting appearance and the woods seemed to come alive with the sounds of insects and animals calls. Everything about the night brought about a sense of dread in him. As a result, his sleep was always restless and fitful. He poked a stick into the flames of his fire, happy at least to have been blessed to find a bit of dry kindling, and let his gaze become unfocused.

     Talliea had to be alive. There was no other explanation for who could have shot at him. Granted, how Talliea had come across such a skill defied all reason, but it was far more likely than any other alternative. At first, Lao'dahn had fancied the idea that another Esu clan had settled in the area, possibly before his own clan had arrived. However, he did not think any of his people would openly attack him from the shadows. Even if the clan was from one of the warring peoples, all Esu prided themselves on their honor in combat.

     What honor was there in striking a foe without first stating one's intentions? No, another Esu clan was not the answer to the riddle. Contact would have been made by now. Other men and women would have been spotted. A whole clan could not remain so very well hidden.

     One lone woman, however, could. Markahn wished to believe that Talliea had left and become lost and, as a result, forfeited her life to the forest. What a dolt. If Talliea's survival skills had ever been in question, why would she so eagerly have left the protection of the clan? Had her so-called freedom truly meant so much to her?

     Lao'dahn did not believe so. He chose to believe that Talliea had left so that she could exact her revenge upon him for his lessons. She was a strong-willed woman. His theory was not without consideration.

     Stretching his legs out before him and tossing some dry pine needles into the fire, Lao'dahn snickered to himself. Imagine the looks on the other men's faces when he returned to camp with a broken Talliea behind him. They would all praise him for finally crushing her defiant spirit. Markahn's status among the others would fall while his would rise. When he defeated Markahn and won his claim to Talliea, he would be valued as a true man of the Light; a noble and tried warrior for the laws of Esuval.

     Yes, his path to glory and respect was spread out before him. All he had to do was persevere and hold true to his god and all would end as he desired. Talliea would be his. Her tight virgin body would belong to him. The fire in her eyes that had always held so much disrespect would finally be doused and she would look upon him with obedience and submissiveness.

     He would be able to do as he pleased and she would be unable to stop him. He felt his trousers tighten at the thought of pounding her body into the dirt. Another image came to him of her on her knees and him pushing into her from behind. As he sat and stared into the fire, his mind was overcome with scenarios of how he would take her and make her his. The tightness in his pants became nearly unbearable.

     "I may have to remind her of her place again," he said to himself. "She may not come back so willingly."

     A smile touched his thin lips. Ramming himself into her while her back scratched against the bark of a tree would be a prudent lesson. Breaking her spirit before they returned may be the only way to complete his goals.

     Before another twisted or crude thought could form in Lao'dahn's dark mind, the feeling of being watched came over him again. This time, it was stronger. Whoever or whatever was watching him was very, very close. He reached down next to him and grabbed the staff he favored as a weapon. Crouching on his knees, he swallowed anxiously and tried to calm the crazed beating of his heart pounding in his chest.

     The sound of his own breathing seemed unnaturally loud in his ears. He gripped the leather bound middle of his staff and strained to pick up any unusual sounds. His eyes scanned every shadow they could find, but to no avail. The forest was too dark. The trees above him kept the moon from offering much light. He thought about using his own abilities to aid him, but quickly dismissed the idea. If someone was out in the forest, the light from his god would surely alert them to his position.

     As he released a breath and allowed his body to go slack, he all too soon realized his mistake. Something was close to him. Behind him. He turned quickly and came face to face with two intense and icy blue eyes. Startled, he fell back and tried to scramble away from the large white wolf that had suddenly come upon him. The creature was not in a defensive stance, nor were its ears laid flat against the back of its head. It stood calmly and watched him.

     Those facts were of little comfort to Lao'dahn. He raised his hand and invoked the powers of his Order. A blinding flash lit up the small area of his camp and slammed into the white wolf so close to him. He waited to hear the sounds of agony that should have come from being assaulted with such intense light, but they never came. When his gift faded and his own eyesight cleared, he was stunned to see the wolf still standing and regarding him curiously.

     The creature shook its body and head and turned away from him. Lao'dahn, his breathing uneven and his eyes wide with fear and awe, watched the wolf start off at a slow and deliberate pace. He could not understand how the wolf still stood, let alone walked! Such a feat should have been impossible. His gift should have rendered the creature immobile and weak, yet this wolf appeared unaffected.

     Intrigued, Lao'dahn sat up on his knees and felt around on the ground until his fingers brushed across his staff. Grabbing it and his pack, he quickly stood up. The wolf had stopped some short distance in front of him and was watching him expectantly. Did it wish him to follow?

     If that was so, what purpose did the wolf have in leading him somewhere? Against his better judgment, Lao'dahn felt compelled to go after the wolf. Taking a cautious step forward, he moved toward the enigmatic creature. The wolf started walking again. Lao'dahn followed.

     As the wolf led the way, its heart was heavy with a deep sadness. It did not like what it was having to do, but such things were often times required if future events were to be given a chance of life. The wolf despised leading this creature, this evil man, but such was its burden. It knew how matters were to end and that was its only comfort when it heard footsteps behind it.

             
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     "Tell me you love me."

     Arizira smiled coyly and turned her head in the playful manner that was her custom. She and Talliea, as they had done the past few nights, were bathing in the hot spring not far from their abode. As promised, Arizira had shown Talliea more of her world from her own perspective. The two of them had walked by moonlight in search of a flower that only bloomed in the deepest twilight of winter. They had played in the snow without a care in the world, throwing snowballs and chasing one another. Just the night before, Arizira had taught Talliea a game her people played where one person attempted to hide from the other while that person sought to seek them out.

     Their time together seemed to pass by the both of them quickly, yet neither noticed. It seemed as if a lifetime ago that Talliea had been so unsure of what she was feeling for Arizira while Arizira had fought to ignore her heart's desires. Now, they were completely free with one another. Their bond grew everyday. Each time they laid with one another, new information was shared between them. Communication -- verbal communication, was almost unnecessary between them when they were physical.

     The fact that they were from two completely different peoples hardly ever factored into either of their thoughts. They were in love. Selflessly, hopelessly, completely...in love. Each touch, each caress, each kiss became more, became better than the one before. Talliea found herself being far more opinionated and optimistic than she ever could have dreamed before meeting Arizira. She laughed and developed a much more playful side to her personality, a side she owed to Arizira.

     Arizira, on the other hand, learned to be less withholding with Talliea. Where before she had been more reserved, she now found herself more willing to speak about what was on her mind as opposed to keeping the thoughts to herself. She had never been one to rely upon another person. Independence had always been her ally. With Talliea, however, she was learning that leaning upon another, one who loved so infinitely, could only prove to strengthen her character, not diminish or weaken it.

     All in all, Talliea and Arizira were as happy as any two people newly in love. Their world consisted only of them and what they made of it each day.

     Standing in front of Talliea, the warmth of the water covering their chests, Arizira looked up into impossibly dark eyes and smiled. The moon enhanced her people's vision and she found the sight of Talliea in the lunar light to be quite intoxicating. Gliding her hands over the smooth skin of Talliea's chest, slick with water rivulets, she asked, "Why?" in response to Talliea's earlier request.

     "Because I like to hear you say it. The words are a beauty when they stand alone, but when they pass your lips they grow all the more sweet."

     Smiling again, Arizira caught Talliea's eyes with her own and held her gaze. With the night being so deep and the moon acting as a guard over the spring, Arizira's eyes were glowing more intensely than Talliea had witnessed in a long time.

     "I love you, Tah-li," Arizira said softly. Her face was no longer playful. It was serious and the tone of her voice heartfelt. "I will love you until my last breath and then, after I have passed to the sky above, I shall continue to love you until this world is no more."

     Eyes brimming with slight tears, Talliea smiled and leaned forward to softly kiss her love's lips. The two of them continued their bath and enjoyed a comfortable silence. Arizira allowed Talliea to turn her around until her back was to Talliea's front. The position was a favorite of both of theirs.

     "You plan on loving me for as long as I plan on loving you," Talliea whispered against Arizira's ear, her lips brushing across the sensitive skin. Smiling at the playful tone in her lover's voice, Arizira wrapped her hands around the arms that were secured about her waist. "If it was your wish,
failira
, I would spend forever with you."

     Something resonated deep within Talliea at the words. She felt something click into place and was soon shocked at how long it had taken her to remember her own circumstances. She let her arms around Arizira's waist slacken as she moved away a small measure. Arizira, sensing the change in mood, turned around to face her. "Something troubles you," she stated.

     Talliea did not respond, but her silence spoke enough. Arizira studied her for a moment. Her fingers moved across Talliea's neck and shoulders as the silence stretched between them. "This was unexpected," Talliea said after a time.

     Arizira cocked her head to the side as she regarded the woman she loved. Her fingers settled against Talliea's collarbone. "What was unexpected?"

     "Us, love. Us. We agreed to wait until the winter passed to make any decisions, but I did not anticipate falling so hopelessly in love with you. At the time, I was unable to fathom how much our relationship would change everything about my world. Yet, I have tasted your skin and touched your spirit now. I have glimpsed into your world and felt you inside of me. I could ask of nothing more from my life than to spend the rest of this cycle with you."

     Arizira opened her mouth to speak, but Talliea placed a single finger over her lips. "But, you miss your people, Ahmanae. You miss their ways and their seasons. What course is left to us then? Keeping you here with me is unfair to you. I cannot allow my own selfish desires to burden your heart. I will not."

     Trailing the fingers resting against Talliea's collarbone up her arm and to her hand, Arizira kissed the finger at her lips before moving the hand away completely.

     "You do not keep me here, Tah-li, nor is your desire to be with me a selfish one. I love you. That love binds me here, to you, to your heart. To your spirit. There is no other place I wish to be than here with you. I still plan to return to my people when the winter moves away from this land. If they cannot accept my love for you, if they cannot look upon us with eyes free from the shade of hatred, then I will not be forsaking them, Tah-li. They will be forsaking me. Love is the highest expression Aitla provides and teaches. If my people cannot celebrate our connection, they also forsake Aitla."