Disclaimer: I surrender it all to Isobelle Carmody.
A/N: Just a random thing I've had floating around in my mind for agers. Hope you enjoy it!
"Ah, Swallow, I'm glad you could make it here safely," Rushton said. His voice held no emotion.
For a year he had felt like a shell. He had rarely showed emotion since Elspeth had left with the animals to go to into the tainted ground. He felt hollow, as if she had taken everything that made him who he was with her. His life. His heart. He didn't even know why she had left. What had possessed her? The little that he did know troubled him deeply. She had left with Ariel hot on her tail. That was enough to fear. She was the One, destined to destroy the machines that had nearly whipped out the world, just filled him with fear. Fear for her.
The gypsy in front of nodded and grinned widely. "So am I. I would like to see your stables, if you don't mind," the man said, his eyes twinkling with mischief.
Rushton frowned. The gypsy had travelled all the way to Obernewtyn to see his stables? "Follow me," was all he replied in a dull monotone although his mind continued to reel.
Hours later, at night meal:
The Master of Obernewtyn was seated beside Swallow that night for his meal. He spoke only when he was spoken to and picked at his food – as he had since Elspeth left. The others around him were used to his behaviour and talked among themselves, many ignoring him completely. He didn't mind.
Was she all right? Will he ever see her again? Has she succeeded in her mission? What if Ariel harms her? What if she fails? What would he do without her? What if he never sees her again?
The thoughts chased themselves around his mind. He could not imagine a life without Elspeth. Everything seemed so dull. What did a man do without his ravek? He remembered the elation he had felt when they were in Sador and she had confessed her true feelings for him. He had never felt happier in his whole life. He doubted he ever would be.
"Rushton?" Swallow, shaking his arm, pulled him from his painful musings. "You have a guest waiting for you upstairs, in your study," he whispered in his ear.
Rushton frowned. He didn't want to see anyone. Anyone but Elspeth. But she wasn't here. "Who?" he asked.
"They wanted to remain unnamed. Trust me, Rushton, go," the gypsy said.
"They can wait, I'm eating," he muttered, swirling his soup around his bowl with a spoon.
Swallow chuckled. "You are not. I doubt she wants to be kept waiting any longer, either."
"She?"
"Ah, forget I let that slip. Please, go, Rushton. It'll be worth it," Swallow said in a persuasive tone.
The thought crossed his mind that it could be someone wanting to kill him to take Obernewtyn from him. He quickly pushed it away. Swallow was a good friend – he wouldn't betray him like that. Besides, Rushton wasn't sure he didn't want to be killed. Maybe he'd see Elspeth in the after life.
He sighed and stood up, pushing his chair out from behind him. "This had better be worth it," he threatened half heartedly as he walked out of the room. He caught Swallow's grin out of the corner of his eyes as he walked past. He dismissed it as nothing worth thinking over as he walked down the many halls to his study. He reached the top of the staircase and paused for a moment, catching his breath. He knew he was becoming frail from not eating enough food but he couldn't find the will to properly care anymore. With a sigh, he set off again.
He didn't knock on the grand wooden door before entered his study – he just opened the door and walked straight in without a second thought. A fire was blazing in the hearth, warming the room and casting a golden glow over everything. Bookshelves were everywhere. His desk was a mess with papers and reports strewn everywhere. His chair was pushed away from the desk. No one occupied the two chairs available for people to sit in on the opposite side of the desk from his chair.
Rushton frowned, and looked around. Where was this person Swallow was talking about?
"Rushton?" a voice asked. He spun around and looked next to the hearth again. A figure was emerging from the shadows in the corner. A female figure. A figure with creamy skin and a long, glossy, black braid.
Rushton stumbled backwards, his heart clenching painfully tight. This person looked so much like Elspeth that it was painful. He noticed, since he was looking down and clutching the nearest wall for support, that the woman walked like Elspeth, too. Two feet in modest shoes slowly made their way towards him. They stopped five metres away from him.
"Rushton?" he squeezed his eyes shut tightly and held onto the wall more strongly. He felt his knuckles turning white with the effort. This stranger sounded like Elspeth, too. "What's wrong?"
A tiny, tiny, tiny, impossibly small flame of hope ignited in his chest. Could this be Elspeth? His Elspeth? His ravek? "Who is it?" his voice was no longer a bleak monotone without any emotion – it was a horse croak, strangled by his conflicting emotions.
"It's me," she said. He slowly let his clenched eyelids relax, then open. "Me, Elspeth."
"Elspeth?" he whispered. The tiny flare of hope grew bigger. If it wasn't Elspeth, if this was a cruel joke of Swallow's, it would kill him. He didn't dare look up and see if it was true or not.
He saw the feet step closer to him. "Yes." A hand reached out and pulled his chin up so he was forced to look at her. The fingers felt like stain underneath his chin – just like Elspeth's fingers did. They trembled slightly against his skin. He kept his eyes on the wall beside him, though, when his face was fully turned towards the woman before him. "What's wrong?" she whispered, concerned.
He finally glanced towards the woman to see it was Elspeth. It was her face he saw first. Then he glanced up properly and saw her bright green eyes staring at him. Rushton inhaled sharply. "It really is you."
"Of course it is. I came back from the black lands a couple of weeks ago, making my way here as quickly as possible. I ran into Swallow and he –" Rushton cut her off by pulling her into a bone-crushing hug and burying his face in her hair.
"Elspeth, Elspeth, Elspeth," he mumbled into her midnight braid. He felt tears running down his face, landing in her hair. He felt warmth rush through his veins – that small flicker of hope had exploded, spreading love and joy throughout his whole body.
After what seemed like forever, they pulled away. Rushton, seeing tears on her own face, reached out a hand to wipe them away with his thumb. "I've missed you," she whispered and buried her face in his shirt. "So much."
"I've missed you, too."
She pulled away and placed her hands on either side of his face. He stared at her in surprise. "I'm sorry," she whispered. He reached down and pressed his lips to hers, then deepened the kiss.
"What for?" he asked once they'd broken away. His mind was full of questions but he couldn't seem to ask any of them now. He just wanted to hold her tight and never let her go again.
"For everything. For being the One and having to go and –" he stopped her by putting a hand over her mouth.
"No need to be sorry about that, Elspeth." Rushton savoured the flavour of her name of his tongue again. "My ravek," he added, smiling down at her.
When they broke away from their next kiss, both were breathing hard. "Can you tell me what happened now?" Rushton tried not to sound pleading.
She nodded. Then bit her lip. "Later?" she asked, eyes pleading. "I just only got back. I haven't seen you for a year! I want to spend some time with you before . . ." her voice trailed off.
Before what? Rushton wondered. A thought that he'd had many times before wormed itself into his mind. "Elspeth," he said softly, fearing the answer. "You were on tainted ground for months. Don't you have the rotting sickness?"
She shook her head. "No, I had a before-timer suit to stop from getting harmed." He breathed a sigh of relief.
"So your well? Full and whole and healthy?" he probed. He had to be sure. If she wasn't, he'd take her down to the healer now.
"Full, whole and healthy. I'm fine, Rushton," he shivered in pleasure at the sound of his name being said by her, "But you don't seem too well." She ran a critical eye up and down his haggard form.
"Ah, yes," he said, trying to think how to answer. "Well." She suddenly kissed him again, making it impossible for him to answer. "How did you get here?" he asked once they'd broken away.
"While you showed Swallow the stables, I snuck up here. I've been waiting forever," she complained. "Night meal wouldn't come fast enough."
He smiled. Then a troubling thought hit him: whenever he'd gotten her back in the past, she'd had to go again. Will she leave him again now?
"Are you staying here now?" he asked quietly. "Or do you have to go again?"
She knew what he meant. "No, I'm free from my duty as the One now. I can do whatever I want. Stay wherever I want." She hugged him tighter for a moment. "No running off all the time."
"So what are you going to do?"
"We," she said. "What are we going to do? I don't know. Anything we want. Well, we are betrothed . . ." This time he kissed her.
"I like that idea," he murmured. "So you want to get married?" She nodded. "Really?" She nodded and gave his lips a quick peck. "Yes, really." Rushton sighed and rested his forehead against her hair. She leant into his chest.
She was back. Elspeth was back. She was healthy. She was alive. She still loved him. Still wanted to marry him. She was back. She was back.
Her stomach grumbled, telling them both it was time for their evening meal. "Hungry, my ravek?" he teased, tugging her towards the door.
"Yes. Are you?" He nodded, suddenly ravenous. Her returning had returned a purpose in his life. Surprisingly, it also brang hunger.
He threw his arm around her shoulders as they walked down the corridors towards the eating hall and kitchen. He pulled her close, stopping every now and then to kiss or hug her.
Ah, reviews? Please? I hope you liked it. This is my first Obernewtyn fanfiction and I hope it doesn't suck too badly.
Reviews!