~Little Bird~
She started casting the spell, swinging her arm out in front of her. Grunting, because her shoulder was hurt in a battle fought long ago, she made a giant circle in the air, finally bringing her hand up to where she started, muttering the ancient language under her breath. Running faster now she took off again, she was meeting a friend and they were going to hunt orcs together.
The orcs had been terrifying the surrounding villages. They were setting fire to the crops and stealing their children. The elders from one of the villages had called her and her hunting partner in to take care of the problem. One small pack of orcs was nothing for her and her partner.
Her partner. She missed him so much when they were apart; he meant the world to her. She had met him long ago, before that fateful battle that crippled her shoulder. She had applied to join the guild he was in and she was actually accepted to it. She first spotted him in the guild hall, chatting with the guild leader. Her hands froze when he smiled at her, a dazzling smile; the manuscript she had been translating was forgotten about. She dared to look into his beautiful blue eyes as he stared back into hers.
Her master had smacked the back of her head then, demanding to know why she had stopped studying the ancient language before her. She heard some snickers from the surrounding students as she blushed and looked down; trying to get back to work but her mind was still on his beautiful smile. She looked up at him; he was still watching her, laughter in his eyes, and her face became a brighter shade of red. She quickly got back to work, amazed that someone like him would give her a second glance.
Blinking herself out of her memories, she was surprised she had traveled so far so quickly. She was at the top of a hill, looking down on the orc encampment. She reached out with her mind, wondering if he was close enough for her short range telepathy; sending her mind in every possible direction, she didn't find him. The valley below only contained five orcs; she knew there had to be more then just five terrorizing the villages.
Suddenly the ground started shaking and she flipped around, already knowing what it meant; more orcs were coming. They were just at the foot of the hill; she wondered how they had not already seen her. Thinking quickly she ran as fast as her little halfling legs could carry her to a nearby rock formation and she dove into a tiny crevice in the rocks. Her hand quickly making the same circular formation as she whispered different ancient words to herself, covering her tracks and making herself invisible to the orcs. She didn't even wince at the pain in her shoulder because she was so terrified. Throwing up all the mental shields she could, she hoped to block out all the orcs shamen but she knew she couldn't do it for long; they would find her eventually.
She had been on hunts that had slaughtered orcs before, but she had never faced them on her own, and never had there been so many. But she knew if he was here that she would be safe, he would keep her safe.
Counting feet as the passed, she figured there were ten rows of two. Quickly doing the math in her head she worked out that there were twenty five orcs total, including the five shamen. She chewed on her lip, not sure if just the two of them would be able to take out so many. They didn't think there would be that many orcs because orcs never traveled in such large groups.
She held her breath, hoping she would catch some of the orc's conversations, hoping to hear something, anything to help her. Giant, mud covered feet kept passing by her little hide away, she was horrified that one of them would see through her invisibility spell or that it might ware off and she wouldn't be able to get it back.
She could hear them murmuring about their latest find; a village where all of the young and those able to wield weapons where out on the fishing boats causing the village to be unable to defend itself. The group of orcs she was listening to started laughing as she heard a thud. She was straining to see what it was that hit the ground, but knowing down deep that she didn't want to know what the shape was that was squirming on the other side of the muddy orc feet.
Softly crying out when she saw what the shape was, the orcs froze and she knew they were looking around, wondering what had made that noise. The terrified woman by the orc's feet cradled her baby closer to her body as the woman stared right at her. The woman blinked once and gave a scared, half smile in her direction. She wondered how the woman knew she was there.
More orc feet appeared and there were many more thuds as other lifeless bodies were dropped by the woman and her baby. The woman gave a scream, seeing her friends and family lying next to her, unmoving. Frantic eyes searched out her hiding spot, begging for help.
She didn't know what to do, how to help this woman and her baby. There was no way she was going to be able to kill all twenty five orcs by herself, but if he was here she knew the two of them could do it. She was running through the options in her head when there was a sudden blast followed by a roar of anger; then dirt and boulders were flying everywhere. She had no idea what was going on but the chaos was enough.
She dove out of her hiding place, quickly grabbing the woman and her child as she turned and headed back to the little inlet in the rocks. She had no idea if all three of them would fit but she had to do something. As she was running there were more explosions and now lightening was coming down from the sky and rocks were flying all around her. Shoving the woman and her child in first, she barricaded the opening with her armor covered body. Hoping to keep hidden through the furry of the battle, knowing that she could not take on someone that was calling lightening and throwing boulders or that she could not kill off the orcs on her own. She quietly prayed to Tunare, begging for some miracle; the frightened woman behind her clutching her baby to her chest, joining in with her, muttering words to Tunare as well.
Suddenly the noise stopped and she opened her eyes, not realizing she had closed them. Poking her head out of the hole she was hiding in, she saw the dirt settling and a form emerged; just one. She was amazed as she looked around at all the dead orcs wondering what person had done this.
The form slowly turned, still clouded by all the dirt and dust. She knew who it was. His armor now shining though the cloud as he sat atop his war horse. His eyes were just as beautiful as she remembered, like she could forget them, but they were full of pain and terror and his dazzling smile was no where to be seen, his lips were pulled back into a grim line as he stared at his surroundings. His eyes then focused on the dead villagers knowing he was mad at himself for being too late. He gracefully slid off his horse and sank to his knees, his head in his hands. She saw his shoulders start shaking as she pulled herself out of her hideaway.
Mentally checking over the woman and child behind her, looking if there were any injuries that couldn't wait to be treated till she saw him, she signaled that it was safe for them to come out and she took off running at the crumpled form. He looked up just at the last second, as she launched herself at him. His beautiful eyes no longer full of pain, but full of immense joy and a dazzling smile flashed across his face. She tackled him back onto the ground, her arms around his neck as his wrapped tightly around her small body.
A tear streaked down her cheek, she hadn't realized just how terrified she had been, how afraid she was that she might never see him again. She quickly pressed her head to his shoulder to try and wipe away the tear then lifted her head to look into his eyes. His dazzling smile grew wider as a responding smile slid across her face.
"Hello little bird," he said softly as his thumb traced across her cheek, wiping away another errant tear. All she could do was smile, so happy to see him. He softly continued, "When I saw the bodies, I thought … There is a child in there with fire red hair and I thought … I missed you little bird."
It dawned on her what he said; he had thought she was dead, that the orcs had gotten to her and she replied, "But our minds, you should have known that way."
He laughed a little bit, "Your mental shields have become stronger, even one as close to your heart as me could not find you. You have been practicing, your master would be proud that you have become better at them." She beamed at his compliment.
The moment suddenly shifted and she felt so close to him, could feel his soft breath against her lips and could see every detail in his eyes. His lips felt so close to hers, her body felt on fire where it was pressed to his, her hands slid from around his neck to either side of his face. Heat building within her body as she licked her suddenly dry lips. He looked into her eyes, searching for something but she wasn't sure what, she was just content to look deeply into his eyes as their lips grew closer and closer. She held her breath as his grew a little faster.
There was a nervous cough behind her and the moment was broken, gone in the blink of an eye and she would have given anything to have it back. She moved off his body and sat up, rolling her sore shoulder, wincing as it caused her pain. He stood next to her, smiling down at her a moment and he then walked over to the woman that had hidden behind her in the crevice. She watched him as he and the woman conversed quietly.
From the moment she saw him standing in the guild hall, she had been in love with him. It started as a hero worship; she originally followed his every footstep hoping he might just glance at her. She had lived for his smiles and loved every word that had come out of his mouth. He was an amazing person, always putting others first and helping friends and those he didn't even know. He had traveled the world and he knew so much, she had gone to him whenever she had a problem, even when she barely knew him. Then they started hunting and grouping together and her love had changed into something more. She loved how he handled himself and he always knew the right thing to say to her. She remembered the first time she had killed an orc, she had cried on his shoulder for hours that night and he was understanding and gentle. It took a week for her to get over the loss of an enemy, she hated taking lives. She still despised it but knew it was a necessary evil.
She longingly looked at his form, so completely in love with him. He was her world, her everything. She hated it when they were apart, but she missed him the most at night. He could be right next to her, in his own bed roll yet she missed him. How she longed to fall asleep next to him, her arms tightly around him, her body pressed to his.
"C'mone little bird," he called, breaking her out of her trance.
Her hopes and dreams crushed in that simple statement. She was his 'little bird' and that was all she was ever going to be to him. She knew he looked at her like his protégé and his charge. She was nothing more to him then a friend he could count on when he needed her. Ha! He hadn't even needed her for this battle; he killed all twenty five of the orcs by himself. Her emotions torn between love for him and disgust for how little of a help she was to him, she stood up and slowly walked over to him and the woman.
"I can not thank ye enough little 'un. Ye saved me and my babe from a death at the hands of those filthy orcs," the woman spat out the last words. "If ye hadn't 'a saved us, we would 'a been among that pile," the woman gulped, "Or worse …" she trailed off, not wanting to think about it.
"No worries," She forced a smile, still thinking of him and their different love, "I'm happy to have helped a little bit."
The woman knelt down so they were eye level. Damn, she hated being so short. "I owe ye my life and the life of my babe," the woman said softly, glancing down at the child in her arms
She couldn't help but blush at that, no one had ever thanked her like that before. She replied softly, "Lets get back to your village; we need to tell the others what happened."
His hand moved to her shoulder and she could feel the heat of his touch through her plate armor. "You two head back and wait for them. I'm going to start taking care of …" He trailed off the last part, not wanting to say it, "Send more to help when you can."
He headed off to his war horse and grabbed a shovel from his pack, whispering the ancient language as he went, the orc bodies going up in flames with each of his spells. They left him as he started digging holes, still muttering under his breath.
"Mind if I ride my horse? My short legs won't carry me as fast as you can walk." She asked quietly, she could better search over the woman and her child if she was mounted. The woman nodded and she whistled, moments later a far off horse responded and soon her horse burst through the trees surrounding the orc encampment.
She quickly mounted, muttering words of praise to her beloved steed. Her partner just laughed and softly said how she liked to show off her pony. She nodded to the woman and her horse fell in step behind the woman. Dropping her mental shields she quickly searched over the woman for physical and emotional wounds. Healing and mending those she found, she then did the same for the child in her arms and settled the baby into sleep. The woman simply walked, not minding the silence.
She reached out with her mind, almost afraid to find him. I'm so happy you got there when you did. They almost killed her!
She heard the pain in his response. I'm so happy I did too, they could have killed you! What were you thinking? You knew you could not take on all those orcs by yourself and when I thought I had lost you, little bird … My anger got the better of me, I just went ballistic and killed everything that I saw.
She simply blinked. I was just running along thinking of you. It popped out before she could stop herself from saying it and cut him off before he could say anything. Suddenly I was right on top of their camp and more were coming up from behind so I hid. Then they stood right outside where I was so I couldn't get away to get help. Then you showed up. To herself, she added how glad she was he had come to save her, there were countless times he had had to save her from a situation and she was worried he was getting tired of being her savior. She was terrified that he would grow weary of her and leave her.
She could hear his chuckle in her mind. Lucky I showed up when I did, huh little bird?
Yep. Lucky me, my hero. She teased him, but he didn't know how lucky she felt and how much of a hero he was to her.
She and the woman waited for the fishing boats to return, telling those that came back the horror of what had happened. The village went into mourning as soon as they heard, helping him bury the dead. The rest of the day passed quickly, they helped the village with anything they could.
That night the two of them sat by a campfire just outside of the village, they had promised to help out until they were no longer needed but the two of them felt out of place at the mourning village. They silently ate dinner and spread out their bed rolls next to the dwindling fire.
She lay curled up under her blankets and looked into his eyes. I missed you. She wanted to say more, but couldn't find the courage. She had been looking for that courage for so long now.
I missed you too little bird. When will I stop having to bail you out of trouble? He chuckled.
When I'm dead 'n gone?
Not funny. His face dropped, his smile gone and the laughter out of his eyes. Don't say that little bird, I would miss you too much. I … He trailed off, making her wonder what he was going to say.
I'm sorry, you're right, it wasn't. It just popped out before I could stop it.
He sighed. You need to think things through. You never think, you don't stop to think about all the possibilities of what could happen. If I hadn't come up on those orcs today you would have died! I don't know what I'd do if you did. I just … I just worry for you, what happens when I can't save you? There was pain in his voice; she knew she had pushed him to his limit. She figured he was tired of saving her and a tear rolled down her cheek as her eyes closed. Her dream had to end sometime.
Trying to hide the hurt from her voice and knowing she failed miserably, she slowly opened her eyes. You can't watch out for me forever. If you are sick of saving me from my own stupid mistakes, then just say so. I promise … you won't have to anymore.
He sat up suddenly, quickly turning to her, a shocked look on his face, "Sick of saving you, do you think that's it?" He stood up, starting to pace around the campfire, "I'm not tired of saving you, I worry about you. What happens on that one day I show up too late or am not strong enough? Do you know why I practice and work on getting better little bird?" He sank to his knees right next to her, his hand moving to reach for her then stopping on its way. He softly continued, "I'm terrified I won't be able to save you. I'm terrified of losing you. I'm terrified of not seeing your smile every day or hearing your voice each morning," He sat back and crossed his legs, his head resting in his hands, "I'm terrified of not looking into your eyes again. I'm terrified of never arguing with you again or never being able to ride next to you again. I'm terrified of what I will become if I lose you, the one person I love with all my heart."
She was stunned for a moment, almost afraid to whisper, "You love me?"
He laughed, throwing his head back. She couldn't see the humor in the situation but let him have his laugh. Finally he looked down at her, his hand moving again to her, finally resting on her face, his thumb lightly stroking across her lower lip as he looked into her eyes, "Of course I love you. How could I not fall for your fiery red hair and bright blue eyes? The first time you batted your gorgeous eyes at me I was a goner. I think I fell completely in love with you the first time I saw you. I have loved every moment we have spent together and it only grows stronger every day."
A smile spread across her face as he talked. She grabbed his arm and pulled him down to her body once he finished, pulling him into a crushing hug. "I love you so much!" was her only response, she was so overjoyed.
He smiled down at her, looking into her eyes as she studied his. He slowly dropped his head to hers, pressing his lips to hers in kiss that was filled with all of his pent up emotion and she returned it with just as much love and passion. Her senses went haywire with his touch. Her body again on fire where he touched her, her eyes full of love for him as she looked into his, her nose filling with his sweet, masculine sent, her ears attune to their soft breathing and oh, Tunare, how wonderful he tasted as their lips parted.
He reluctantly pulled his lips away from hers, smiling brightly down at her as she returning his enthusiastic smile, "Little bird, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow, we both will need our rest. Can we further discuss this in the morning?"
"Of course my love," was her soft response, she was still amazed at his confession and that she had finally confessed her love to him.
"Slide over," he softly said and she slide over in her bed roll.
He slipped in next to her, his arms wrapping around her, his lips resting against her forehead. She gave off a happy sigh, finally knowing that he was hers. She fell asleep with a smile on her face and the love of her life in her arms.
~Author's Note: The next chapter contains the lemon, hope you're still reading along and you enjoying it! 3