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The Amazon almost slapped him again, just on principal of the thing, but growled instead. “You, are just asking for it.” A booted foot tromped on Galain’s toe before An’Thaya stalked through the portal, then yelped as she came out several feet off the ground and plummeted into a bush.
“Agh! Idiot!”
Lying in the brambles she stared up at the double moons and swore beneath her breath. She wanted to wipe that damn smile right of his face … hard. Then again … part of her wanted to do it with her mouth. The thought brought colorful string of drow expressions from her lips as she struggled to sit up.
Galain was torn between further laughter and muffling his own oath as he grabbed his foot. She was a vicious little thing, but he'd deduced that the night before after he'd made the mistake of touching her. He hopped after her and let out a cry of alarm as he too found himself crashing into the bush atop An'Thaya.
Well at least he'd gotten a nice soft landing for the most part. Nice and soft indeed, he thought distractedly as his hands accidentally touched various bits and parts of An'Thaya. If he died now he figured it would have been well worth it.
The sitting up part of her plan was suddenly cut short by the presence of a heavy Elf on top of her. Panic seized the Amazon for a moment and she struggled wildly beneath him, only succeeding in bringing parts of her body harder up against him, which brought a deep blush to her cheeks. Breathing heavily she stilled, going dangerously quiet as Galain’s hands brushed over her.
“Get … off … of … me,” she snarled, ignoring her body’s violent reaction to his touch. Only Reece had ever triggered the wildly pleasurable responses that the Elf seemed to ignite, and An’Thaya had struggled for years to put those aside as well. This Elen was NOT going to break down her defenses so easy, this … cheeky … gods bedamned …blonde …male was not going to succeed where others had failed. Somehow she managed to unsheathe a dagger and slid it between them where his body had grown more than a little firm against her. “Now…”
Okay, he would rather die than have that dagger slide home, the elf decided. Cautiously he backed away and rolled off An'Thaya.
"Well that was fun. Soft in all the right places," Galain said, rolling just a little further out of the way in case An'Thaya decided to throw the dagger at him. "Remind me to let you go first all the time from now on." He checked for the pack and bedroll, then stared into the darkness as the form that was the Amazon.
"You okay? You felt like you had everything in the right places." Gods, he couldn't help the smirk that slid across his face. It had to be her manner that was suddenly egging him on .
“I’m fine,” she bit out, “but if you keep going on like that, I’ll rearrange a few of your bits.” An’Thaya was grateful for the darkness, fairly sure that her face was as red as her hair. Scrambling to her feet the Amazon bushed off her clothing and pulled a few twigs and leaves out of her hair.
Tossing her head back, An’Thaya gazed up at the night sky, gauging their exact position by the moon and stars. “Well, at least you landed us in the correct location,” she grudgingly admitted. “See there, that is Br’yn, or The Dragon, his head points due north, always flying towards S’Hea and Ciwnac. So, follow the Dragon we shall.” Without bothering to look at Galain the redhead struck off through the trees, “Don’t trip and hurt yourself or anything … that would just be a horrible shame.”
Galain just kept grinning. He wouldn't mind seeing how far she got with rearranging some of his bits before the tables were turned on her. But now was not the time and he quickly grabbed up the roll and pack and stared upward at the sky. He was pleased to see he'd gotten them to the right place and he eyed the alien constellations. He was still staring upward when he realized An'Thaya was stalking away and he hurried after her, tripping just as she cautioned him not to do so. Chagrined, Galain moved more carefully after that, muffling periodic exclamations whenever branches smacked into his face. He had the distinct feeling those branches were aimed.
“I think we should find a place to camp.” It was the first thing she had said since they had struck out through the trees. Nearly eight hours of silence without slowing down or pausing for anything short of a pit stop or two. “Morning is still a good six hours away and we are getting into unknown territory. I’d be more comfortable travelling in the light from here on in. That and we will want to pace ourselves, find someplace safe for Zenith. I hope you can take a lot of heat.”
They were coming down a slight incline that led into a sheltered vale, the first of many hollows in the rolling hills that eventually blossomed into full-fledged mountains in the distance. The terrain was going to be more difficult to navigate on the morrow. “I’ll gather wood if you want to start setting up camp. I can smell a stream just the southeast as well.”
Without awaiting his answer An’Thaya faded into the trees, a shadow in the moonlight as she went about the task she had set for herself.
Galain had been learning when to anticipate branch swipes, but after eight hours of continuous walking and given that he'd only slept a few hours at the Green Heart, the elf's energy was flagging. The pit stops had been nice though.
"Fine, great. Camp," Galain answered. He was trying to figure out the period of night and day on this planet and was thoroughly confused. The moons were still pretty cool though. He didn't bother to tell her that this whole place was unknown territory -- she'd have probably gloated privately anyway. Or made things worse. But he just had to ask.
"What's Zenith? What do you mean by a lot of heat? You give off enough as it is." Okay, that had a lot of double meanings and he bit back a mad laugh. But she'd already vanished into the trees, having decided on a campsite herself.
"Well, fine. Yes m'lady. I'll set up camp. I can do that. Great -- water. Wonder if she'll smell this..." Galain took a personal pit stop break of his own at the outer perimeter of the camp and then set to work creating a firepit. Then he set out the bedrolls and rummaged through the packs, pulling out what Tager had thoughtfully provided on such short notice.
No coffee pot. No coffee.
He was going to be possessed of the most foul temper when it was daylight. He muttered to himself and shook his head. This place was downright uncivilized.
“Oh yes, and bathing in a tin cup is terribly civilized,” the Amazon retorted as she emerged from the wood, an armload of wood in hand. She dropped it on his foot and smiled sweetly, “Zenith, is the six hour period during the day when the suns are at their apex. It is dangerously hot, most everything seeks shelter and sleeps.”
Crouching down An’Thaya tied back her hair, then built up the wood for a proper fire and hummed softly to herself, “Can you manage a bit of flame? I don’t feel much like rubbing to sticks together.” Straightening she rifled through her pack, “Oh good … he remembered the IronBane… we can have some tea. Mai’Tus fruit… dried meat … hmm… well, we won’t starve anyway.”
Galain hissed.
"It was the best I had and you wanted a bath -- in the middle of the night. If you'd preferred I'd have dumped you in the river out back. It's nice and cold this time of year -- on Berelath, dammit. I'm sure you'd have enjoyed it. What am I supposed to have offered?! Ow!" He kicked at the wood and glared at An'Thaya in the murk of the dark.
"There are multiple suns too? Good gods. Gimme rain anyday," Galain muttered. He felt a small moment of triumph when she gave the fire-making over to him, but immediately made a sour face at the mention of tea.
"Tea. Old women drink that crap," he muttered as he got the fire going. She did know how to set the wood up at least and the flames grew into a merry little fire.
An’Thaya eyed the Elf over the flames and shrugged, “Hygiene is apparently of greater importance on Whispin than it is on Berelath. Nothing wrong with that.” She was hiding a grin, needling the blonde was suddenly a great source of entertainment. “Yes, two suns. And careful what you wish for, it rains a great deal here too. But … it only gets cold at night.”
The redhead fell back to humming as she set up a pot full of water over the fire, “Old women hmmm? Well, we will just see how you like IronBane tea then.” The Amazon paused and peered at him, “Unless you are not Iron sensitive, then there really isn’t a point to drinking it.” A Mai’Tus fruit came sailing through the firelight at him, “Eat.”
"Hygiene? I bathe daily! Just because my way of bathing doesn't suit your needs doesn't mean I stink," Galain shot back. "And give me the rain! And cold! Cold is great!"
Suddenly rather irritable the elf pinched the bridge of his nose, catching the fruit An'Thaya tossed at him before it could bean him.
"I am iron-sensitive. What the hell's IronBane? Why's it have to be tea?" He bit into the fruit and shut himself up. Somehow the tables had been turned in the button-pushing department.
“I didn’t say that you stink,” the Amazon said, her tone colored with amusement. “A bit touchy aren’t we?” Settling in she peeled the rind on her Mai’Tus fruit like a corkscrew. “IronBane is … well, just what it sounds like. Ingested in tea form it gives an Elf an edge, resistance to Iron. It isn’t completely effective, I can handle the metal for short periods of time, but a cut still burns like the nine hells. For that, you have to use a poultice to absorb it out of the blood.”
“You might have wanted to peel that first.” Grinning the Amazon pulled out two mugs and went about steeping the tea.
Galain had just been spitting the fruit out, wondering why it was so tough and sour and nasty when An'Thaya mentioned he should have peeled it first. He muttered a rather filthy word and tossed the fruit down, shaking his head. He eyed the Amazon across the fire and didn't say anything more for a few minutes. When he did speak he tried to knock the surliness out of his tone.
"So, does this tea have any kick to it? Please tell me I won't need milk and sugar."
“Judge for yourself,” the Amazon chuckled, passing one of the mugs to the Elf. “It is a little bitter, but you get use to it after awhile.” She sipped at her own and watched him with amused emerald greens before shifting her gaze upward, watching the moons trek across the sky before settling on the Dragon constellation.
Why had Tager waited so long to send her home, as he called it. Why had he left her in the Crystal Keep for so long after Reece’s death? So many questions … and all she had was a name. Tiny fingers brushed a wave of crimson hair away from her face and she sighed softly. It seemed that her entire life had been a series of questions with no answers. If S’Hea provided them… An’Thaya would be very surprised.
Galain took a careful sip of the tea, grimaced and then sat back a bit, tasting it entirely. He gave An'Thaya a wondering look.
"Not too bad. The bitter aftertaste is... I can grow to like it. It's tea? Really?" He took another sip and then watched the young woman. She was an Amazon? She wasn't... tall. But her bearing took care of that. She carried herself "tall". There was more to it than just bearing of course, but he simply dwelled upon her moonlit profile.
"What's the sigh for?" he asked.
“Frustration.” The answer was simple and to the point, though the cause obviously wasn’t. Wrapping her hands around the hot mug the Amazon took another sip before her gaze shifted back to Galain. “I don’t like secrets… and my entire life suddenly seems to be made up of them. I feel betrayed by the one living man I thought I could trust. It isn’t easy find out your Father isn’t quite that … that you are someone else entirely…” She shrugged, “I want answers, and no one seems willing to give them. Not even Arminiea… especially not Arminiea.”
Apparently ready to change the topic she focused on the Elen for a moment. “So, who are you Galain Alcarin? I think it only fair that I know a little bit about my travelling companion. So far… I know you like Coffee… and women, perhaps a little too much. There is obviously noble blood in your veins, and you don’t like sharp objects.”
Naturally Galain wanted to jump on the 'frustration' topic, but he refrained. He was regaining his equilibrium and remembering the frightened young woman who had stumbled into his inn. He remember too her... father's... concern. Tager had raised her after all.
He wanted to talk more about her, too many questions rearing their ugly heads for him, but An'Thaya switched subjects rapidly and he sucked in a breath.
"I'm an inn owner. You know that. Yeah, I like women a lot." He leaned forward and leered. "I like men too." He immediately regretted his action and leaned back, blushing a bit. "And I like coffee. Black as in. Sharp objects are... well... as long as they don't threaten me. As for noble... noble is as noble does I think."
He hadn't shared a word more of himself -- for the most part.
The redhead snorted over Galain’s personal revelation and set her mug down. All that talking and Tay only knew one more thing about him, and that one thing was something she hadn’t wanted to know. “I think we should get some sleep,” she muttered, unlacing her breastplate as she spoke. “Tomorrow promises to be a long day.”
Without a further word she partially disarmed and spread out her blanket near the fire. Small fingers combed through her fiery locks as she settled back onto the ground, pulling out the knots before she lay down, the mass of flaming curls fanning out behind her as she rolled onto her side, leaving her back to him.
Galain remained sitting for a few minutes, silently watching An'Thaya make her bedtime preparations. He was silently berating himself for being such an ass and wondering just why it was that he kept poking at her. His eyes were inevitably drawn to the Amazon's amazing hair. It rivaled the flames of the fire and seemed to writhe in the shadows and glow.
"I'm also a jerk," he muttered to himself as he slowly got his own blanket laid out and wrapped himself into it.
The first of Whispin’s twin suns had crept over the horizon when Tay woke. She lay in her blankets for awhile, watching the light kiss the land and bring it to glowing life right before her eyes. The slight chill of darkness was washed away, replaced with the humming warmth of a new morning, full of promise. Today… today perhaps she would find answers.
Rolling on to her side she stared at the golden haired elf that lay on the opposite side of the fire. Wondering, for the hundredth time, why he had chosen to offer his help. The Amazon kept picking up conflicting vibes from him, never sure whether to trust or despise him. It was a frustrating thing, being so off balance, and it made her angry.
Tossing off her top blanket Tay rolled them up neatly and set them aside while she coaxed the embers of the fire back to life and put a pot of water on to boil. Humming softly to herself she perched on a log and worked the knots from her hair with slim fingers. Her humming blossomed unconsciously into words sung in a soft clear soprano.
The way is long, time is too short
This little footpath seems never to end
Green are the trees, musk on the stones
How it looks strange this mystical world
Sweet smelling rose what do you hide
Behind your innocence red like my blood
Hungry for victory, hungry for love
Love for the earth that made me her son
Strong and invincible serving my cry
Go now and ride there where dragons fly
The rocks appear in front of me
When the first shadows prelude to dark
Near is your end wild holy path
Open my eyes to what the sun hides
Beloved mountain what do you hide
Where does your river flow, I want to know
Hungry for victory, hungry for love
Love for the earth that made me her son
Strong and invincible serving my cry
Go now and ride there where dragons fly
Her singing had the Elen awakening slowly and he groaned. His body's inner clock was all off and he lay still a moment, listening to the Amazon sing. He sat up slowly and turned to face An'Thaya, watching her untangle her hair.
"That's beautiful," he said, his voice gravelly and thick from sleep. He eyed the pot on the fire and sighed. "I suppose it's more tea, eh?" he asked, his tone resigned.
The Amazon jumped near out of her skin and eyed the Elen with wide emerald eyes for a moment. Thaya hadn’t quite realized she had been singing aloud till that moment. “Uhm… yes, sorry, no coffee here.” Pulling the last of the knots out of her hair she tossed the mass of flaming curls over one shoulder and removed the pot from the fire.
“Calima Almare.” Digging through her pack she pulled out a Mai’Tus fruit and some dried meat, which she offered to share. “It is im'holoz … uhm… little furry animals… about this big,” she made a gesture with her hands indicating the size of a squirrel, “they live in the jungle canopy and eat … well, these,” she tossed him a Mai'Tus, “of course, they prefer them fermented. Which makes them easy prey after the hysterical chittering stops.”
"Calima Almare... 'quel amrun too," Galain replied, catching the Amazon's surprise, but having the good grace to pretend not to notice. He grimaced as he eyed the fire. "No coffee. Gods. The savagery..." It was a sardonic comment and he was resigned to the tea. He'd eke what he could out of it. As for the furry little animals for breakfast... he might be able to get used to that.
"Don't tell me anymore. Just tell me how they're cooked and I'll get things going. They're in your pack?" He was incredulous, but caught the Mai'Tus without blinking before he suddenly started laughing.
Small, drunken, furry rodents...
An’Thaya stared at the Elen for a moment, then a mad grin broke out across her face. “Well, it is dried meat, precooked, makes it easy to carry in your pack.” She held out a strip of dark meat to him, the bit of rodent shaking slightly as a result of her semi-contained mirth. “Perhaps I’ll take you to see an im'holoz colony some day, the Gliding variety are particularity amusing after they eat a few good fermented fruits.”
Pinning a second Mai’Tus between her knees she tugged the stem and started the coil peel on the thick purple skin, revealing the segmented pieces within. “The woods around here feel funny,” she said suddenly, “there is something about the land… it gives me tingles… the closer we get to S’Hean lands… the stronger I feel it.”
"They're already dead? Well, that makes breakfast easier," Galain answered, taking the offered bit of meat in hand and taking a bite. He hadn't missed An'Thaya's hidden laughter and blushed a bit.
"I'd like to see a colony one day. Can we feed them and get the whole flying, drunken thing going? You think there's something good in there that requires them to eat the stuff or are they just hooked?"
But he stopped his ruminations for a moment and cocked his head, trying to feel whatever it was that the Amazon might feel.
"Perhaps you have a tie to the land that you can feel," he suggested cautiously.
“Indeed, much easier. I wouldn’t want to have to kill and cook a hungover rodent. I think they are just hooked… and that sounds like fun, actually.”
Thaya looked thoughtful for a moment whilst chewing on a strip of meat. “A tie to the land? Is that even possible? People have those?” The Amazon raised an eyebrow, “I mean, Reece was a Sandshadow and he could sort of… pass through things, into the earth, that sort of thing… but I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone linked to the land. I just… feel the Aethyr sometimes… maybe that is it? The area might have a high concentration of it?” Shrugging she sipped at her tea, “all I know is that if it gets any worse I’ll be about reading to crawl right out of my own skin.”
Galain was further amused by the drunken rodent thing, but was serious pretty quickly.
"I don't know if it's possible, but I have heard of bonds to people... so why not the land?" Galain shrugged. "I suppose we'll find out more as we go further. But please..." he gave her a wry grin as he spoke, "please don't crawl out of your skin."
“Bonds to people? How does that work?” She pondered on that one a bit while they finished breakfast , making a face at the Elf after his last comment. “I mean, I’ve heard of blood oaths, even made them, but a bond?” Rising she stretched, making a pleased little sound as the warmth of the first sun seeped into her skin. “I’ll pack up if you want to put out the fire.”
"I honestly don't know," Galain answered. "I just know they are special connections and can happen on several levels. My own kind aren't quite capable of creating bonds -- as far as I know." He chuckled a little when An'Thaya made a face at him and shrugged, finishing his breakfast as well before he nodded, not looking up immediately. When he did though he gazed at the Amazon with open admiration. Standing there as she did with the first sun casting its morning glow on her hair she looked...
Well, she looked like a fiery goddess.
The elf quickly looked back down and got to his feet, moving quickly to douse the cookfire.
“Who exactly are your,” her sentence was interrupted for a moment when Thaya caught the way he was looking at her, “people.” Turning away to hide the slight color that had risen in her cheeks she finished with the pack and slung it over her shoulder. “You are terribly secretive… are all your people that way? It seems to be an elvish tendency. The S’Heans never come out of their lands either. Not anymore. Father… erm, Tager, told me that during the reign of King Derwin Modar D’Riel they walked freely across the lands, but since Tallin came to power they have retreated behind their wards.”
As she spoke the Amazon made her way to the nearby stream and refilled her water canteen, crouching down and letting her hair tumble forwards to hide the slight flush on her face. “Do your people live in the open? Or do they hide behind walls as well?”
Galain finished putting out the fire and ran a hand through his hair.
"I suppose we all are secretive. We've had to be," he answered. "We hide behind walls for the most part, and in the shadows of the Forest. We'd prefer the open, but it's not possible -- relations with the resident humans aren't exactly... good." He shrugged and followed An'Thaya, refilling his canteen as well. He crouched beside her, trying to see through the curtain of hair, wondering why she was hiding her face. He nearly smiled and then didn't, deciding the expression might not be the wisest one to don at the moment.
"This Tallin -- you say he's come to power. Is he a usurper?" Galain was remembering what Tager had shared but the fellow hadn't quite spelled it all out.
“Well,” Thaya said, finally moving her hair back over one shoulder, “that depends on whom you ask. Apparently,” the cap was replaced on the water flask; “he is the biological brother to Derwin. Though how that could be I have no idea. Derwin died… or disappeared with his family … something like that, about eight hundred years ago. Tallin has been in power during my entire lifetime. Some support Tallin, some say that Derwin or his only son are the rightful heirs to Corin.” She shrugged, and looked into sea green eyes for a moment, “all just a story that has nothing to do with the likes of me.”
“Now… apparently S’Hea has something does have something to do with me… so, I suppose we should go find out what.” Pushing to her feet the Amazon brushed off her trousers and strapped her canteen into place.
Galain gazed thoughtfully at An'Thaya and digested this information. It seemed to him that Tallin was a usurper if Derwin had actually disappeared. And it seemed to him that there was more to the story than either of them knew. He capped his own canteen and arose.
"Then away we go," he said with a half smile.
The second sun was well up in the sky when An’Thaya paused to lean against a tree. They had reached the top of a steep incline that led into a rather deep and narrow valley and stopping to catch their breath seemed like a good idea. “Still a few hours until Zenith,” she called back over her shoulder, “we should keep moving as long as we can, when the heat hits we will be holed up for a good six hours. Have you ever slept in a tree before Galain Alcarin?” Her eyes had an ethereal glow about them now that seemed to grow brighter the nearer they drew to the S’Hean border.
Grinning, she pushed her hair back, then started on down into the valley, her pace unwillingly quick due to the steep slant. “Careful…”
"When the heat hits?" Galain was leaning against a nearby tree. An'Thaya had kept up a punishing pace and the gravity of this planet was taking its toll on the normally fit Elen. He felt like he was being dragged down and he leaned forward, trying to pretend he was just staring at the tips of his boots. He looked over at the Amazon and gave her a wan smile.
"I did when I scouted with fellow Rangers," he said, referring to sleeping in a tree. "Haven't done so in a while though." He eyed An'Thaya intently, noting the glow in her eyes and then headed after her, groaning to himself.
And then he was cursing as the gravity and the incline of the hill combined into one terrible trip-up for Galain and he practically fell over forward and rolled down the hill before unexpectedly smashing into something invisible and extremely hard. The elf lay there, oddly sprawled as he rolled onto his back and stared up at the sky, his nose bleeding profusely.
"What the hells did I just hit?" he asked inanely, unable to get his brain to register with the hardness he'd smacked into with what appeared to be a perfectly open panorama before them.
Galain’s sudden stop shocked the high hells out of the Amazon and she stopped her rapid decent by grabbing the trunk of a young tree and nearly running a circle around it. She stared at him for a moment, then carefully picked her way diagonally to where he was lying.
“I have no idea, I don’t see anything. Oh… ow, that is going to leave a mark.” Peering down at him she touched his face with gentle curiosity, then swore with feeling as blood ran profusely out of her own nose. “Agh! I thought I had control over that!” The Amazon’s eyes watered and she rocked back on her heels, only to have her boots slide out from under her. Landing across him with an oomph, she found her head well past where he was sprawled.
“You see, nothing there, you must have hit a rock or something. Feel better?” she asked, struggling for balance, “give me a hand here, I don’t want to reach the valley head first.”
Galain was stunned when his injury transferred to An'Thaya for a moment. And then his breath left him in a giant whoosh when she toppled over him.
Soft.
Unexpectedly soft.
Perhaps he'd hit his face a little too hard, but that's all the elf could think for a few moments before he eyed the Amazon and tried to get to his feet.
"I feel better," he said, helping An'Thaya to his feet. He then took a step forward and promptly concussed himself. He staggered back a bit and let out a string of obscenities.
"There is too something there," he exclaimed.
An’Thaya covered a laugh with her hand and wondered if he had knocked something loose the first time. “I tell you,” she said, grabbing his arm, “there is nothing there!” Hauling him forwards she dragged the Elf past the troublesome spot and lo and behold, his face didn’t smash into anything.
The Amazon, however, felt as if she had just stepped into a lightning strike. A sharp intake of breath refused to be released and the effects suddenly became visible. Emerald arcs of electricity played over her form, and Galain’s as well where he remained in contact with her skin. Flaming locks of hair flared up around her face, giving Thay the appearance of being suspended in water, and then she went down.
Galain was just shouting "NO!" when An'Thaya yanked him forward and whatever he'd been smacking into seemed to no longer be there.
"Oh?" he uttered, completely confused and then awed as his eyes fell upon the Amazon. She was ablaze and alive with light, life and electricity, a shocking jolt of it shooting up his arm from the hand that held hers. He stood transfixed and then muttered an oath when the Amazon fell to the ground.
"An’Thaya, 'Thaya, hey... you okay?" He knelt beside her, instinctively grabbing her hands and feeling another jolt as he did so. He leaned in close, concerned and confused. First the invisible barrier and then this. "An'Thaya?" he said again, gently patting her face.
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