Naveen

Rina:

“He’s a friend,” I said defensively and then he said he loved me. I sighed and looked away. I couldn’t deny that I knew it. I could tell by the way he looked at me and treated me that he had feelings.

“Liam… No, you don’t. You’re infatuated. That’s all,” I said quietly. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings but I also didn’t want to give him any reason to think I felt the same way.

"No, it's not. I love you Rina. You are beautiful, you are a princess, you care about those who serve under you, you care about the people even when they turned their backs on you. What else could someone ask for?" My heart hurt at her words, and yet I continued to beg.

Rina:

“Liam, don’t call me a princess. I’ve told you a hundred times,” I said. I should have tried to stay kind but he stepped on my nerves. “And I don’t care about people who turn their backs on me. That really pisses me off. You don’t know me. You’ve romanticized me into someone I’m not. You don’t love me. You love a figment of your imagination.”

"Then why are you fighting? Why do you care about any of this?" Throwing an arm wide I gestured to the camp but also beyond to the human lands we lived in. "If you don't care then why are you fighting? Just leave!" Turning my back on her I hunched my shoulders, "I don't care if you don't believe in yourself that way. I still will. Even if you want to be with dirty elves." Long strides carried me away from her, away from the camp. Only the moon could see the tears on my cheeks that way.

Rina:

I stood there stunned by the conversation. Liam was young and emotional. It was best to let him be alone to cool down before I tried to talk to him again. My only hope was that he wouldn’t tell the others about me and Talon.

Talon:

I took a walk through the woods, wanting to enjoy the night and moon before I went to Rina's tent. Along the way I found a tiny clearing where I sat down to turn my face up to the waning moon. Soft rustles behind me had my eyes shift over my shoulder only to widen with surprise. A Unicorn eyed me from between the trees, nose flaring as it drew in my scent.

"I mean you no ill will, please share the space with me, the moonlight is pleasant." I smiled and bowed at the waist and was rewarded by the heavy tread as it joined me in the clearing. Horses could be intelligent but Unicorns were wiser than many magical races. It was a rare treat just to spot one in the wild, but even more unique to have one as company.

Rina:

It felt wonderful to be with Talon without the pressing need form the morning. Taking it slow and enjoying each other. I fell asleep curled against him with my head on his chest. I didn't feel lonely anymore.

Since I had been cursed I was slow to wake up. Today was no exception. I was on my back now. When I opened my eyes a sliver all I saw was the dimly lit tent roof. I closed them and blindly reached my hand out to check for Talon.

Talon:

I'd woken up early, before the sun. I hated to leave her soft warmth, and had spent far too long tracing her curves with my hands. Our time the previous evening replaying in my mind where we'd explored and rediscovered every inch of each other very nearly made me want to wake her up so we could continue where we'd left off. Prudence kept me from giving in to those urges. I dressed quickly, brushed a kiss across her cheek, and tucked her back in before I snuck out of the tent. I made sure I wasn't spotted until I could come out of the woods and seat myself down outside Rina's tent as if I was simply waiting for her to wake. I did surreptitiously gather some flowers along the way and slipped them just inside her tent.

Rina:

I felt empty space and let out a soft sigh. It took a few more minutes before I was fully awake enough to get up. I was getting dressed when I saw the flowers laying by the entrance. I picked them up and tucked on in my braid.

When I left the tent my eyes met Talons. My lips twisted into a small smile. I wanted to grin but I didn’t know who could be watching. “Good morning,” I said softly.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?" My tone was polite but my eyes danced with playfulness. "I had hoped to catch you before you got too busy today. To discuss how I could be of help to you and your cause." My voice was pitched that if people were listening it they could understand me clearly, while keeping a normal volume.

Rina:

“I did sleep very well,” I said softly. “Oh?” I asked when he finished. Our last attempt to collaborate had failed spectacularly. I was somewhat apprehensive of start again though we had few other options if we wanted to stay together.

I motioned for her to join me on one of the logs outside her tent. "What is it you need? I doubt troops would be entirely welcome at the moment...so supplies? Weapons?" Searching her face I wondered if she understood that I was doing this for her. I didn't want her men to be suspicious as to why I was hanging around outside her tent and just being there at all for an extended period of time.

Rina:

I searched his face. It was clear he was saying this so the men would hear him. But I didn't know to what degree he was offering me this honestly. "I'll have to give it some though. We can discuss it after breakfast?" I asked, keeping my tone neutral. I looked behind him for a moment searching for Liam.

Talon:

"Of course, whenever you have time." Setting business aside I stood and looked off towards the cooking fires. "Could accompany you to breakfast then Rina?"

Liam:

I refused to look at Rina, my pleas and her rejection still fresh in my mind. I had woken up early and still accomplished my duties, self assigned as they might be. With everything done I'd spent the better part of the morning with Rune and only returned to eat breakfast with the other troops.

Rina:

In the next several days Talon and I worked out an arrangement, so he could stay with me. After the first day he challenged any of the men who had a problem with him to a duel. After that they were less unfriendly. They were by no means friends, but they mostly left him be.

Maleen was another matter. When they found out she was a witch they were afraid and angry. Dorian had to threaten them with banishment if anyone harmed her. But Maleen being who she was, won them over easily. Now it seemed that Dorian was more worried about someone making a move on her than trying to harm her.

It took some convincing, but they agreed that the best way to make any kind of difference was to recruit more than just humans. We had a witch and an elf on our side already. IT would be a challenge but not undoable.

Talon and I did not openly show our relationship, but it was likely than many of the men suspected anyway. I didn’t care too much. I pitched my tent farthest away from the camp and we spent our nights in each other’s arms. I was truly happy for once.

We were traveling today. There was word of another small rebel group. Our goal was to get them to join with us. But we had to find them first. I had sent a couple men out to spread the word that we were trying to find them. It was a risky move considering it could get back to royal soldiers, but the benefit of more numbers was worth it.

I was in front of the group on my horse close to Talon. Our horses started getting nervous. I didn’t notice it until Maleen called out from behind for us to stop. It was too late though. A large creature pounced from the thick underbrush. My horse bolted.

I didn’t have time to do anything but hold on tightly. I glanced back to see the large cat like creature chasing behind. It looked like a cat but its skin was scaly and spiked and its mouth was bigger than my head. Aero couldn’t penetrate the scales. He bounced off the first few tries.

It was fast. Faster than my horse. It pounced and hit me with the force of a falling bounder. The horse screamed but kept going. I was knocked breathless and immobile in the animals grasp. I felt the hot mouth and sharp teeth grab me and drag for a couple feet.

I knew it was coming. Dread pooled inside me. For a moment I saw a flash of red as Aero flew into it’s face. Then everything was crushed out of consciousness as its mouth crunched down on my chest.


Dorian:

The second Rina dashed of with the monster behind her I gave orders for the men to stay back and not to follow. I made it there before Talon did. The animal was dead on top of her. I jumped down and hurried to her.

“Rina?” I pushed against the carcass, shifting it only a little. Her eyes were glazed over and unresponsive. I hooked my arms under hers and pulled her out. Her chest was soaked in blood, but she was breathing. She came back like she always did, only this time she wasn’t reacting.

Talon:

Our arangement wasn't perfect. I was certain both of us wished things could be more open and shared. But we made do. I was even pleased with the strides we were taking forward for our cause. Finding like minded humans was a mixed result. Some just wanted to over throw the kingdom. Others wanted to improve their lot in life. But few wanted to build equality with other species. And that led us to finding some allies beyond Rina's people.

I spent most of my day with Rina, and it felt natural to have my horse right beside hers today. I ignored the little tickle in the back of my head that something felt off. I felt it often enough in the camp. The men weren't out right hostile to me anymore, but they hadn't yet come to accept me fully yet. And so I chalked it up to simple animosity.

I learned my mistake as a creature attacked us. My horse bolted and by the time I got it under control and ran myself towards Rina it was too late. Dorian was pulling her out from under the corpse and all I could see was her blood.

Dorian:

“Rina?” I shook her gently. For a moment her eyes focused before she closed them. She was unmoving otherwise. I glanced up when Talon approached.

“No one else is coming?” I asked. The other men didn’t know that Rina couldn’t die. She didn’t want them to know.

Rina:

This was the worst yet. The past times I had never lost consciousness. Coming so close and being jerked back was unbearable. I couldn’t do it anymore. I couldn’t keep living like this. I barely registered the arms around me until I was shaken. I closed my eyes against the intrusion.

Talon:

Kneeling down beside him I shook my head. "I told them I would handle it. They know by now not to get in my way." Gently I cupped Rina's face and called to her softly, "Rina...come back to me. Please."

Rina:

At Savien’s voice my eyes slid open again. I focused on the lines that made up his face. He made it worth it, didn’t he? He was worth this unliving state. Tears welled up in my eyes and I promptly squeezed them shut.

Dorian:

Rina had cried in front of me before after she came back. But I knew she didn’t like to. She didn’t want people to see her in a state of weakness. I shifted my arms out under her and stood up.

“I’ll leave you to it and check on the others.” As I said it I heard hooves approaching. It was Maleen coming to check on us. She didn’t come all the way. He stopped thirty feet out but looked on with a worried expression. I went to her.

Talon:

I watched Dorian go off then focused again on Rina. "It's alright. I'm here. We'll make camp soon and you can rest." My words were soft, my touches even softer as I smoothed her hair out of her face.

Rina:

It was hard to summon up the will to move. To go back to everyone. With Talon’s help I got up and started walking silently with him. Maleen came over hesitantly. She looked pained to be near me. She helped me clean my outfit of blood and repair the tear. After that she hung back. I knew why. I was steeped in dark magic. I would make her sick if she stayed close.

I kept an arm around her shoulder, supporting her weight as I brought her closer. "Breath Rina. You are alive, you are here, you are safe right now." It was easier to keep whispering to her than to give into my own worries. I hated that she had to go through this. Hated that I was the cause of it.

Rina:

Dorian took care of addressing the men. I let everyone else coordinate. I couldn’t function much now. I didn’t help set up camp. I stayed close to Talon as if he was some kind of tether to the living. I didn’t eat even when food was brought to me, even when they asked me to eat.

When night fell I took Talon by the hand to my tent, not especially caring who saw.

Talon:

I did what I could to help her, but there were times I felt my words simply passed through her. Even physically placing a spoon against her lips didn't accomplish much. So when she took my hand and pulled me towards her tent I was surprised enough not to look back at who might be watching. She was ready, either to talk or return fully.

Rina:

When we were inside the tent, I peeled my clothes off and set them by the entrance.  We usually slept naked or mostly naked.  I laid on my back and looked up at the top of the tent.  I didn’t feel anything and yet I didn’t want to be alone.