Forty Six

           I listened to the storm outside Elethor’s window in the otherwise quiet dark of his chambers. A fire burned within the hearth and made the occasional pop or crack as the wood gave way to the flames. The sound the rain made as it lashed against the windowpane and cascaded down the drain pipes and gutters was almost soothing and echoed against the stone walls. I lay nude beneath the blankets and sheets, my head on his shoulder, the fingers of my left hand curling idly in the hair behind his ear and the rest of my arm lay draped across his chest. He caressed my body beneath the sheets with a gentle clawed hand his other resting where my ribs curved inward, just above my hip. I had slung one of my legs over his, and we lay there in his bed just wanting to be as close to each other as we possibly could. Neither of us spoke, there was no need at this moment in time.


           I had cried and cried against his chest, and he had let me, murmuring softly into my hair that he loved me and to let it out, not once asking me to stop. Finally his patience, when it came to our situation, ran out and he roughly grabbed my chin forcing my eyes to meet his as he vowed to me,

           “I do not care if I have to move heaven or earth or do battle with Aion himself I promise you one day this pain will be a thing of the past and that we will be together. I love you Sirona, and if this is the last night I am to have you in my arms for some time, I am going to make it memorable for the both of us.”

           He had crushed his mouth over mine then and I had relented, melting into his embrace and allowing him to whatever he wished. Now we lay comfortably, the sounds of the storm and the warmth of the fire comforting us, even if the thoughts that kept us awake were anything but. He looked down at me, the sharp movement of his chin catching the vision at the corner of my eye causing me to look up quickly in return. He smiled at me and kissed my forehead gently.

          “I don’t want to leave.” I said, memorizing the every curve and line of his handsome face.

          “I do not want you to go.” He held me tighter for a moment before relaxing his hold on me back to a gentling thing. I laid my head back down on his chest, my neck beginning to ache from the extreme angle and stared over our legs toward the fire watching the golden light dance over the shadowy furniture in the chamber.

           “The fifth day of every month?” I asked, needing assurance that we’d at least see one another or maintain contact in some way.

          “If I am not there, or you are not, I promise you there will be a letter beneath the rock I showed you, I promise you. I may be losing you again keairrah, but I will not lose you like I did before, never again, I swear it.” I held to him a little tighter than before and made a promise to him.

          “You won’t lose me Elethor, I promise. I also promise that if I cannot make it, there will be a letter for you, just as you showed me. I don’t like that we must live like this…” my voice broke, the tears cracking it in two and welling hot and immediate in my eyes. He smoothed his hand down my arm that crossed his chest, his other hand making soothing circles against my back and we fell silent, listening to the storm and the fire.

          “I would live like this forever if it was required, but I tell you now without you I don’t really live at all, just when you are here.” He kissed the top of my head and murmured a gentle sleep spell, I knew the cant and intonation of the words, hearing them before and knowing what they meant, but never before had I heard anything uttered with such loving care. It was slow acting, and as I drifted off the sound of the rain in the drainpipe and the crackling cheer of the fire was almost as calming as his touch. I was safe…