Aftermath
Carefully,
Zarnian wrapped a single sweaty curl of Trakas’ hair around her finger. His
hair was wet with sweat from their love making, but just yesterday that sweat
was from the chilling shock of Sorin’s constant attacks. She felt as if he
almost died yesterday. Today they agreed to start over, making love in Trakas’
room carefully, respectful of each other’s injuries. In his arms all she wanted
was to forget everything except that she was here and that in his arms she was
not a warrior, leader, or rebel. In Trakas’ arms she was a woman – the only
place that was true.
Suddenly,
he held her a little tighter, his energy shifting a bit, just enough for her to
notice. “Is all well?” Zarnian inquired, hoping that the panic remained away
from her voice. Yet, it was in her heart. Their new start was a very small
sprout, and such sprouts were easily crushed by a misplaced step.
Trakas
turned, looking at her with his deep green eyes, the color of lush vegetation
that never suffered from lack of water or soil. Eyes that were the color of
everything pure and right. “I just want to savor every moment that we have.”
The rest remained unspoken but understood.
Nodding,
Zarnian agreed, “Yes, we will. Even when our bodies are not joined, our hearts
will be.”
This
seemed to trouble him slightly. “Zarnian, my heart is with yours. If I had my
way, I would take you and Timmuth and Sorin and smuggle you out of town. I’d
tell you to not stop running until you got back to the House so you would be
well away from here before the fight, before Kalak defiles.” Anger crept over
his face as his hands tightened into fists. “I would give anything for that.”
“Yet,
you cannot have it.”
Trakas
shook his head. “You’re integral to this, Zarnian, in a way that I don’t even
think you understand. This will fail without you.” He traced the tip of her ear
with a single finger, a move that made her blush. He smiled at that, warming
with her. “When all this is over, I am going to take you to the most beautiful
place you can imagine. It’s green and beautiful and there is water and all the
plants there just radiate joy. You’ll love it, and the thought of showing it to
you is what is getting me though all of this.”
Shifting,
she sat up, twining her fingers in his. “You are getting me through all of
this.” She kissed his forehead. “Trakas, seeing you suffering under Sorin’s
assault, you almost…” She shook her head free of the thought. “I cannot have
that occur. You cannot die during the upcoming battle.”
“Zarnian…”
He reached up, cupping her face in his hands. He smiled, yet it held too much
sorrow to truly be a smile. “I don’t know what is going to happen during this
battle. I have a mission, a mission that is bigger than you or me…than us. We’re
two lives against the lives of a city, or perhaps all of Athas. That is why I
haven’t told you yet those words I hold in my heart. Even if that is how I
feel, I want to wait until we’re past all that. If we survive, then I can look
you in the eye and tell you.”
“I
can wait,” she promised, surprised by the truth of it. “Besides, I would rather
say those words to you once I can be sure that I won’t have to lie with anyone
I do not wish to. That still might occur before all this is over. I will do
what I have to in order to protect this house.”
“
I know.” All traces of his smile fell and he gathered her into his arms holding
her against the upcoming storm. Though neither one wanted to leave the embrace,
finally, Trakas announced, “It’s been about an hour. We should probably make
sure that C’aro doesn’t have Gahaz standing over the kids with a whip while
they make their pots.”
Zarnian’s
eyes flashed with fear and rage. Lightly, she hit him in the chest. “Do not
suggest that to either one of them.”
“I
won’t,” he promised, his old mischievous look in his eye. Silently, quickly
they dressed. He reached the door first. Zarnian was still buckling her chest
armor in place. “I won’t, for now.” He added, dashing from the room and down
the stairs before she could catch him.
Shaking
her head, Zarnian finished buckling her armor, picked up her spear and dashed
out of the room after him. Her legs were longer and when she caught him, he
would pay.
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