Author's Notes: Dancing, whether it be with a stranger, a friend, or a lover, will always hold a special place in my heart.
I own nothing but Valaine and my thoughts.
And I really hope I don't write Gann out of character, because I haven't written him or played Mask of the Betrayer in quite a while.
--
Night had fallen over the city of Mulsantir, and a herd of dark, angry clouds was gathering in the sky. The spirit-eater and her companions had just come back from Ashenwood, but no one was there to welcome them, for all were inside. A few lights were on in some of the houses, though most of the population was asleep and dreaming. The streets were all but empty as the four travelers headed back to the Veil for rest of their own.
"I think we'll go to Coveya Kurg'annis tomorrow," Valaine announced, walking briskly. Her clammy violet-gray skin appeared especially eerie in the yellow lamplight, as did her practically pupil-less white eyes. "We should be able to get some answers from there."
As they exited the docks, rain began to fall from the sky. It was hardly noticeable at first, but by the time they stood outside the doors of the theater, the storm clouds were giving it their all and soaking the roads.
Valaine held out a hand, catching raindrops in her palm. "It's... raining," she whispered, suddenly taken aback.
"Mm, because it wasn't obvious already," Gann said, glancing towards the theater's double doors. She didn't seem to hear him, however.
All three of her companions were equally surprised when she walked away from the Veil. It was as if she were in a trance, lost in the weather. She turned to face them, and immediately broke into a smile.
"It's raining," she repeated, unfazed by the water soaking through her robes. "It hasn't rained since... gods know when."
Gann figured it shouldn't have been so unexpected - Valaine was a water genasi, after all. She was always slightly damp, even in the driest places, so why shouldn't a bit of extra moisture please her? He watched her as she opened her arms wide, looking more at home than he'd ever seen her.
Safiya regarded Kaelyn with one raised eyebrow, eyeing her white wings. "Aren't you going to go inside?" she asked, wrapping her hands around the door handles.
Kaelyn continued to stare straight ahead, paying no mind to the water rolling off her back. "If our leader wishes to stay here, I will wait. I am fine."
Opening the door, Safiya muttered, "Suit yourself," briefly thinking of drenched chickens before disappearing behind the double doors.
Mildly curious, Gann followed Valaine down the now-slick streets, perplexed by how she could move so easily through the rain. The downpour was almost torrential now, but she walked through it effortlessly.
Stormy weather must have been rare where she'd once lived. Hadn't she said she'd grown up in a swamp village? Swamp water and raindrops were hardly the same thing, and there must have been a world of difference to one like Valaine.
Gann didn't mind a light spring shower every now and then, but this was more rainwater than he'd seen in quite some time. The cloth tunic he wore was sticking to his skin, and his silver-blue hair was plastered to his neck. A warm, dry bed seemed very appealing, but he stayed within a few feet of her, not sure what else to do.
Valaine vanished behind a corner for a while, and as he walked up to peer around it, she came twirling back into the middle of the street. For someone who stumbled in most friendly conversations, she was awfully light on her feet. She began to dance, spinning endlessly in the pouring rain. Her movements were fluid and graceful, like the ebb and flow of the tides. Leaning against the wall of a nearby building, Gann wondered who she had learned this from.
She spun towards him, then extended a hand. "Dance with me," she breathed, eyes shining more than usual.
No one was on the streets. Lights were out in all the nearby houses. Kaelyn seemed miles away. Still hesitating somewhat, he slid his hand over hers, turning into the empty street once more.
He had learned to dance from dreams. You could do whatever you wanted in a dream, with whatever level of expertise you wished, and for Gann, the experience was well remembered, enough for him to carry it into reality. The scenery seemed to blur and disappear into the rain and darkness, leaving only dim light from street lamps to see her with.
There was some confusion as to who was leading. They both seemed to want control of the dance, neither of them willing to give in. It was something like a duel; whenever it seemed she was finally mirroring him, he would be thrown off guard by something she did, and vice versa. In his dreams, Gann had always led the dance, no exceptions. Valaine's nonverbal insistence that she lead was something entirely new.
The unspoken argument came to an abrupt end when Valaine slipped in a puddle, tumbling out of Gann's arms. She sat there, blinking in bewilderment, then raised her head and laughed. He grinned as well, shaking his head as he offered her a hand. She took it gladly, flicking some of the street muck off her robes. He brushed some of her dripping hair behind her ears, shaking his own out of his face. Closing her eyes, Valaine entwined her fingers with his, sighing in contentment.
There was something to be said for the raindrops clinging to her eyelashes, and the streams of water running down her smooth face.
Since the day she had freed him from prison, he hadn't even bothered to compare her to the other women he'd met. Gann had regarded her as the most unfortunate-looking girl he'd ever seen, and left it at that.
But standing in the rain, alone with her - there was something beautiful about it, even if he wasn't sure what it was. He felt light and peaceful, even if he only showed it with the faintest of smiles.
However, no amount of joy would take away the fact that the night was cold and wet. Gann suppressed a shiver, nudging her gently. "Perhaps we ought to continue our dance? I'm not sure how you feel about standing forever on a freezing street in the middle of a rainstorm, but I'm not too fond of the idea."
The wind rushed past just then, reinforcing his point. Valaine shuddered, breaking away in a futile attempt to cover herself with her cloak, which was thoroughly drenched. "I think that would be wise."
He reached forward to take her right hand in his left, then thought better of it. "You may lead this dance," he asserted, making sure his obvious displeasure was clear.
Chuckling lightly, she arched an eyebrow as she wrapped an arm around his back. "Oh, really?"
"Of course, I insist," he replied, with a toss of his head and a smirk. Valaine rolled her eyes, stepping back to begin the dance.
"Don't get any ideas," she muttered playfully, making sure he was making at least some effort to follow. "No stealing the lead."
"Now, that depends on what you consider 'stealing the lead' to be," he said, watching her movements and the rhythm of the dance carefully. "If you mean suddenly attempting to gain control of the dance - like we were in the last dance - then no, I wouldn't dream of it. If, however, you mean something like this..." He abruptly stopped dancing and swept her up into his arms, one hand under her knees and the other supporting her shoulders.
She stared at him, mouth agape. "Gann! Put... put me down!" she shrieked, squirming. He laughed, walking back towards the Veil - with some difficulty, considering that it was still raining and he had a struggling genasi cradled in his arms.
"And that, my friend, is stealing the lead," he said, setting her down as gently as he could once they were there. Kaelyn hadn't moved an inch, but was soaked to the bone and shivering terribly. Gann and Valaine looked at her, then at the doors. They weren't locked.
Gann walked up the steps and pulled open one of the doors, going inside only after the two women had gone in themselves. Kaelyn ran off to fetch the extra blankets, and Valaine hung their three sopping wet cloaks on the wall.
"That was nice," she said quietly after a few moments. "Thank you, and pleasant dreams."
She then turned and strolled down the corridor, leaving Gann to his corner. The blankets he'd laid down there now seemed woefully inadequate. Still, he was exhausted, and standing around in wet clothes wasn't helping anything. Yawning, he peeled his various garments off his body, flinging them into a nearby pile.
Settling down underneath the blankets, he closed his eyes, reflecting on the night's events, wondering what he'd dream about, and hoping Valaine would let him sleep past noon.