I don't own the Age of the Five Trilogy – the brilliant Trudi Canavan does…

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One of Future's Endless Possibilities

Auraya waved goodbye to Speaker Sirri at the entrance of her bowler with Mischief already sitting on her shoulder, nibbling affectionally at her ear.
'Owaya back.'
'Yes, Mischief. Did you have a nice evening?'
Instead of an answer the veez jumped to the ground and raced towards his favourite place. Auraya slowly followed, a smile on her lips as she thought about her own evening. Speaker Sirri and her had been invited to visit Trilli and Tryss, their twelve year old son Nain and their little baby girl Nayi. Tryss was the man, who had invented the harness that had enabled the Siyee to join the war as the White's allies all those years ago. The harness had enabled Tryss to distract Imenja and had given Auraya the chance to kill Kuar, which had led to... so many things.
She sighed heavily and dragged her thoughts away from the war. Nayi had been too cute, playing with little Siyee Dolls, throwing them all around the room while shouting 'Siyi fly!' happily. Auraya made a mental note to bring along Mischief the next time. Surely the children would love the veez.
Inside her bowler Auraya sat down on her cosy chair and once she had done so she realised how tired she was. She closed her eyes, unwilling to make the effort to get into her bed. As soon as she drifted into the dream state she felt a familiar presence reach out for her and a well known voice called her name.

:Auraya!
:Hello Mirar!
:Where have you been? It's late, I've been trying to reach you for hours.
:Is that reproach I hear?
:No, not reproach, just longing.
:"Just"? You missed me a lot, admit it!
:You know I do all the time, why do I have to keep telling you?

Auraya giggled.
:So, where have you been?
:I've been invited.
:Tell me more.
:I've been invited to a young Siyee family, along with Speaker Sirri.
:Someone I know?
:Actually yes as I've found out tonight. Though I don't know if you'll remember.
:Try me.
:You healed Tryss at the battlefield. Trilli told me in detail about the bearded Dreamweaver that healed her husband and how he left not even hearing their thanks. It sounded very much like Leiard in his more confused days.
:I think I remember. He was the last one I healed bevor I let Emerahl take me away.
:They were very happy when I told them I knew who helped them. And they were speechless when I told them 'It was Mirar!'.

When Mirar joined her laughing she found herself marvelling once again at how his laugh gave her goosebumps.
:Did you tell them they might be thanking me in person soon? he asked, suddenly serious again.
If she would have been awake she would have blushed then.
:No.
After a short pause she added:
:I feel like it's my personal secret that you'll soon be here. My secret and I don't want to give it away in fear of something going wrong then... When will you be here?
:Tomorrow if you're ready to see me. I'm only about five hours away from the Open.
:I've been ready for a long time now. Hurry.
:I will.

Auraya barely slept that night. Not even a suggestion of fatigue was left after Mirar's revelation. Most of the time she tossed and turned or simply lay awake starring at the stars and thinking about next night. The first night in Si where she would fall asleep in a real embrace. An embrace she was very much longing to be in...
Since she she couldn't find sleep anyway she let her thoughts wander further among that path of love in Si. She recalled her pleasant amorous adventures here, but none of them had never been real. There had been the dreamlinks with Leiard during her very first visit to Si... a whole lifetime seemed to have passed since then. And then, when she had been in Si again... she had decided to give in to Chaia's wooing and their love affair had started.
Chaia... it had taken a long time to get over the feeling of guilt that had gripped her every time she thought about him. She had spend hours and hours trying to work out what she would have done would she have known that Chaia hadn't tried to kill her before she agreed to help kill all the gods. She had not been able to find an answer. But eventually she had found peace and comfort in the fact that in the end Chaia had known that she had been tricked by Huan and was sorry to not have trusted him.
She finally could think back to their time together now with a smile on her face.
She could appreciate the good times together without grief or regret, and no longing for his touch was left.
There was only longing for Mirar.

When finally, finally the the first rays of sunshine tickled her nose she left her bed and began pacing her bowler. How long till Mirar would arrive? And what would she say...
What do you say to the man you love after you had an affair, got separated, found out you're supposed to be enemies, nearly killed each other, befriended each other again, killed the gods together and then didn't meet in... how many years?
She leaned against her doorway.
We didn't have to meet in person. We dreamlinked each and every night. And sometimes even during the day when the longing grew to strong. It was the time we both needed apart. Physically that is. He needed to resume his life as Mirar. I needed time to build a life on my own. An immortal life. But now it's time to meet again. Yes, it's time.

Morning went by slowly... Auraya barely managed to sit down five minutes for lunch before she was up and about again which earned her an anxious look from Speaker Sirri.
'Is everything all right with you?'
'Yes, yes... everything just fine.'
'Auraya?'
'I'm expecting a visitor and I'm a bit nervous.'
A knowing smile crept onto Sirri's lips, 'Mirar?'
Auraya, standing on the edge of the little place in front of her friend's bowler, looking out onto the Open, swept around, 'How do you know?' The shock of being looked through was written on her face.
'I've known you for quite some years now, and I do know women. Their wishes and their ways when they try to hide their true feelings.'
Auraya blushed.
'I'm happy you two finally managed to get him here.'
'Me, too.'
Sirri got up and slowly walked over to the former White, taking her hands and softly turning her around.
'And while we were pleasantly chatting look who entered the Open.'
Shivers ran down Auraya's spine when she looked upon the figure of Mirar, slowly and carefully walking into the Open, wonder and excitement of finally being in Si plain to see.
'Go on, fly down to meet him, I know you want to.' Sirri whispered.
Auraya nodded, took a deep breath, waved good bye to Sirri and took off.

'Hello my beautiful Auraya...'
'Welcome to Si, Mirar...'
Mirar took a careful step towards Auraya, reached out for her hand... and then suddenly a young Siyee landed between them. 'Sreil says you're Mirar - is that true?' he asked without any preamble.
Mirar tore his eyes away from Auraya with difficulty and even managed a smile.
'Yes, that's true.'
'Hey, everyone, it's really him.' cried the Siyee and before Auraya could even think 'Oh, no...' a whole crowd of Siyee appeared, separating her from Mirar, asking questions, laughing, dragging him away...
They must have followed him for days... How could I think I'm the only one interested in his presence here...
Auraya looked up to Sirri's bowler and saw Sirri helplessly shrug her shoulders, an apologizing look on her face. Auraya shrugged her shoulders as well and followed the crowd and Mirar.

When Auraya and Mirar entered her bowler hours later they simultaneously gave a huge sigh of relief, turned towards another and started laughing.
When Auraya had managed to gain enough air for talking she said to the still giggling Mirar, 'I love Si, I really do, and I love the Siyee... but sometimes I think they've got no idea what the word privacy means...'
'I think after today I might know what you're hinting at...' Mirar answered.
'But now...'
'Yes.'
Mirar took Auraya's hands in his and for a moment stood still, savouring the feeling of her hands in his. The little waves of pleasure that ran from his hands through the rest of his body... he loved what this simple touch did but he was longing for more.
Auraya slowly lifted her hands, softly placing kisses on his hands when they were within reach. Then she let go of Mirar's right hand and with a seductive wink she began leading him deeper into the bowler, towards her bed. When they stood before it, she took his face in both of her hands and he bent down and planted a timid kiss on her lips, to which she responded eagerly. 'I love you, Mirar', she said as she let go of him and lay down on the bed, pulling him down with her.
'I love you, too, Auraya.'
Forgotten was all that had been, all that they had been through together and without each other, now they were only two lovers celebrating their love, sharing everything.

Only hours later, when the same stars that Auraya had looked upon the night before shone through the window did they speak again.
'You don't know how good it feels to have you near again...' she said as she snuggled up against his chest.
He softly stroke her hair, 'I do know... I do...