(a/N: Here's a little Valentine's Day present for all of you! :-P)
They sat there for a while, Aly's head leaned up against Nawat's shoulder. She closed her eyes and Nawat held her close to him. He had just started to preen her with his free hand, when they were quite rudely interupted.
"I thought you had drowned!" Junai stood there, an image of anger. Her hands were firmly planted on her hips, her mouth turned down in a frown. Aly would have jumped to her feet and tried to apologize to Junai, but she noticed a smile in the older woman's eyes.
"You're not angry, Junai. I know you too well," Aly said, confidently. She sat up a bit, but Nawat pulled him closer to him again.
"As you can see, I'm not drowned."
A smile crept up on Junai's face. "All right. But you should get back to the goats."
"I will come, too," Nawat said, standing up. He offered a hand to Aly, and pulled her up. "We are mates, now."
Aly blushed as Junai looked at her, smiling wider. She looked at the ground, even more embarrassed that she was blushing in the first place. Just then Nawat, tilted his head to the sky, and frowned. "My friends are calling. They have griffin feathers. Shiny ones for the arrows." He looked at Aly, and kissed her nose. "I will see you again, very soon," he promised, before hurrying off.
Aly walked back to the goats. The good thing about having Junai as a bodyguard, she decided, was that Junai didn't ask any questions unless it had to do with her safety.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Aly had decided to eat outside, underneath the blue-black skies, and the glowing moon that night. Cheanol, Junai and Ulasim had all joined her. They dined on a rice dish (studded with shiny peppers that Aly avoided), rolls, cheese, and thinly sliced ham. The four ate in near silence, until Ulasim cleared his throat, and stood up. Stretching, the raka smiled. "Getting cold out," he said, simply, before turning to walk away. Junai stood up quickly, and followed her father. Cheanol smiled slyly.
"You can clean this up, right?" the cook asked, motioning to the food.
"Where are you going, Cheanol?" Aly asked, hands on hips and eyebrow raised. She suspected the raka were off to a "secret" meeting, that they thought Aly didn't know about. She watched the woman with her Sight, ready to detect any lies.
"You know where," Cheanol chuckled. It wasn't a lie. Aly sighed, but then smiled at the raka cook. Cheanol smiled toothily back, before hurrying off. Aly began to gather up the food, to move inside, when a hand on her shoulder startled her.
"I snuck up on you again," Nawat said, bending down to kiss her softly.
"I should have known it was you," Aly said, making a stubborn face. Nawat laughed, and combed her hair out of her eyes.
"You are PRETENDING you are angry," he said, proudly. "But you are not. Your eyes say that you are happy to see me again."
Aly smiled at him. "You're right," she admitted. She settled down in the lush, green grass. She turned her eyes to the moon. Nawat sat next to her, and looked up at the moon, too. They were perfectly still and quiet for a little while.
"Aly?" Nawat leaned over, to whisper in her ear. His breath was warm and tickled.
"Hmmmm?" she hummed.
"I love you," he said, voice and eyes serious. He seemed a bit worried. "Aly, do you love me, too?" He gently caressed her cheek with his hand.
She looked at him, a bit startled. She hadn't expected a question like this! Yes, she THOUGHT she loved him. 'But do I really?' she wondered. She closed her eyes, and tried to think of a future with Nawat.
Yes, she could clearly imagine a future with Nawat. She looked into his wide eyes. "Of course I do," she said softly. "More than anything."
He smiled widely, and pulled her close to him. He kissed the top of her head, and stroked her hair. Aly snuggled into the nook of his arm. "I'm the perfect fit," she teased, as he held her close.
"You are perfect," he said, and smiled. "And I've always loved you. Even when I was a crow."
"I've always loved you, too," she said, voice soft. She was surprised that a small tear trickled down her red, blushing cheek. She was astonished at how girly she was being. But she just shook her head to herself, leaned against Nawat, and closed her eyes. Soon, she was fast asleep.
They sat there for a while, Aly's head leaned up against Nawat's shoulder. She closed her eyes and Nawat held her close to him. He had just started to preen her with his free hand, when they were quite rudely interupted.
"I thought you had drowned!" Junai stood there, an image of anger. Her hands were firmly planted on her hips, her mouth turned down in a frown. Aly would have jumped to her feet and tried to apologize to Junai, but she noticed a smile in the older woman's eyes.
"You're not angry, Junai. I know you too well," Aly said, confidently. She sat up a bit, but Nawat pulled him closer to him again.
"As you can see, I'm not drowned."
A smile crept up on Junai's face. "All right. But you should get back to the goats."
"I will come, too," Nawat said, standing up. He offered a hand to Aly, and pulled her up. "We are mates, now."
Aly blushed as Junai looked at her, smiling wider. She looked at the ground, even more embarrassed that she was blushing in the first place. Just then Nawat, tilted his head to the sky, and frowned. "My friends are calling. They have griffin feathers. Shiny ones for the arrows." He looked at Aly, and kissed her nose. "I will see you again, very soon," he promised, before hurrying off.
Aly walked back to the goats. The good thing about having Junai as a bodyguard, she decided, was that Junai didn't ask any questions unless it had to do with her safety.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Aly had decided to eat outside, underneath the blue-black skies, and the glowing moon that night. Cheanol, Junai and Ulasim had all joined her. They dined on a rice dish (studded with shiny peppers that Aly avoided), rolls, cheese, and thinly sliced ham. The four ate in near silence, until Ulasim cleared his throat, and stood up. Stretching, the raka smiled. "Getting cold out," he said, simply, before turning to walk away. Junai stood up quickly, and followed her father. Cheanol smiled slyly.
"You can clean this up, right?" the cook asked, motioning to the food.
"Where are you going, Cheanol?" Aly asked, hands on hips and eyebrow raised. She suspected the raka were off to a "secret" meeting, that they thought Aly didn't know about. She watched the woman with her Sight, ready to detect any lies.
"You know where," Cheanol chuckled. It wasn't a lie. Aly sighed, but then smiled at the raka cook. Cheanol smiled toothily back, before hurrying off. Aly began to gather up the food, to move inside, when a hand on her shoulder startled her.
"I snuck up on you again," Nawat said, bending down to kiss her softly.
"I should have known it was you," Aly said, making a stubborn face. Nawat laughed, and combed her hair out of her eyes.
"You are PRETENDING you are angry," he said, proudly. "But you are not. Your eyes say that you are happy to see me again."
Aly smiled at him. "You're right," she admitted. She settled down in the lush, green grass. She turned her eyes to the moon. Nawat sat next to her, and looked up at the moon, too. They were perfectly still and quiet for a little while.
"Aly?" Nawat leaned over, to whisper in her ear. His breath was warm and tickled.
"Hmmmm?" she hummed.
"I love you," he said, voice and eyes serious. He seemed a bit worried. "Aly, do you love me, too?" He gently caressed her cheek with his hand.
She looked at him, a bit startled. She hadn't expected a question like this! Yes, she THOUGHT she loved him. 'But do I really?' she wondered. She closed her eyes, and tried to think of a future with Nawat.
Yes, she could clearly imagine a future with Nawat. She looked into his wide eyes. "Of course I do," she said softly. "More than anything."
He smiled widely, and pulled her close to him. He kissed the top of her head, and stroked her hair. Aly snuggled into the nook of his arm. "I'm the perfect fit," she teased, as he held her close.
"You are perfect," he said, and smiled. "And I've always loved you. Even when I was a crow."
"I've always loved you, too," she said, voice soft. She was surprised that a small tear trickled down her red, blushing cheek. She was astonished at how girly she was being. But she just shook her head to herself, leaned against Nawat, and closed her eyes. Soon, she was fast asleep.