Disclaimer: I own shape-shifters and some characters and some events, oh my! But I don't own Tolkien's work; The Lord of the Rings. I don't own Peter Jackson's work either... *pouts*
A/N ~ Here's another one! It will be the last until I get Hervess a Iel finished and then this story will start up again. :)
Bold is mind-speech. Italic is memory at this point.
Dracon
Brincu = Uncle
Astir = Father
Matre = Mother
Elven
Nínim = Snowdrop
Warning: Again for Alagos' memories. Nothing very graphic, but I still felt the need to warn.
Nestad ~ Healing
The camp had grown quiet again as they'd talked and Gweltari glanced around, noting that her father had gone to bed and were sleeping soundly. Gimlan was on watch and the woman knew he would keep anything the two of them say to himself. She turned her eyes back to the white-haired male still lying on the bedroll, looking up at the sky.
The shape-shifter wasn't sure how to begin and he sat up slowly after a moment, the blanket around him pooling in his lap. He felt Gweltari stiffen and looked up from behind his white hair to see her running her gaze over his chest, arms and around to his back. Alagos knew what she saw and he suddenly wished his shirt was dry, feeling more vulnerable than he was fine with. The desire to hide was strong enough that the woman felt it and her green-gray eyes met his amber, her expression gentle. She reached forward and pulled the blanket away from him, standing to settle it on his shoulders before sitting again, their crossed knees touching. Her voice was quiet. "No one is going to hurt you here, Alagos."
The male nodded slowly, a shiver racing through him. He looked down at his arm and Gweltari laid her hand over the old scar, making him look up at her. "I don't know how to...to talk about..." He stumbled over the whispered words and Gweltari swallowed thickly before gathering the courage to say what she did. "Show me." Alagos flinched back, his eyes widening and the woman's gaze held his. "Show me. I want to understand." She watched his expression, but it had gone blank, guarded, unsure and Gweltari let her mind brush his with concern. She was worried to find that he shied away from her mentally and frowned, her fingers slipping under his chin to lift his head. "Alagos?"
Their eyes met and the fear and pain hit her in a wave, making her gasp as he stared at her. She wasn't seeing his amber eyes anymore though, but what lay behind them. A memory. The woman suddenly understood with clarity why he'd flinched away when she'd suggested this. Any memory he showed her...he had to relive. It was too late to stop the course they were on, though, and Gweltari watched with growing horror the shape-shifter's past...
He was in a cell, both wrist chained to the wall behind him. There was slack enough to move, but not to stand and certainly not to fight back. The floor was cold and the stone rough. No light came into the dark place unless it be through the opening door. His long, white hair hung in his face, no longer even white, but brown with dirt and his own dried blood. Healed, but fresh scars covered his body and other wounds still bled sluggishly. How long had he been here? Three weeks? Five? He could hardly remember and part of him didn't want to. He didn't look up as the cell door opened, though, his body leaned toward the light and his lungs drew in the fresh air gratefully. The shape-shifter shook, knowing that 'they' never came into his cell for good reasons.
The kick to his side made him hiss and draw back, finally looking up with fury-filled amber eyes. His body was trembling, his mind just wishing it were over, but his spirit wasn't cowed and it now sprang up, defiant. The man he looked at curled his lips and grabbed the shape-shifter white hair as Alagos snapped at him savagely, the collar about his neck clanking. He couldn't shift with it on and he and the man both knew it.
The first man held his hair near the back of his neck as the other two entered, one unlocking his wrists and the other tying them as soon as they were free. Alagos struggled the entire way as they dragged him down the dungeon hallway, toward a room. It was hot, a fire burning in a large furnace, iron tools laying about. What caused a shiver to wrack his body were the manacles in the room.
The shape-shifter fought the men like a wild animal, but in the end all he got for it were new bruises and his hands locked into the manacles connected to a stone table. Amber eyes watched through a curtain of hair as something was thrust into the fire and then brought back out after a moment. It was a brand. Alagos jerked back, a sound of pure fear coming from him as his hair was grabbed again. He broke his wrist trying to get free as the hot metal came closer to his skin, and he screamed and bucked as it was pressed into the inside of his forearm, burning flesh wafting to his nose.
He passed out.
Gweltari jerked back, her eyes closing as her entire body trembled. She felt only a slight pain, but knowing he had felt more, knowing that he'd suffered through that, it brought tremors to her small frame and the woman felt tears leak passed her closed lids. Her green-gray eyes snapped open, though, as Alagos moaned through gritted teeth and she realized with horror that the memory wasn't done for him...or he was experiencing another. Her fingers reached out to touch his cheek without thought, only wanting to know what was happening and she clenched her own teeth as her mind was plunged into another nightmare that was far worse than a dream.
Pain. Where did it end and he began? Alagos didn't know and he was past the point of caring. He just wanted it to stop. His back burned, lacerations both partially healed and new crisscrossing his shoulders and further down. He knew they would heal quickly, some scaring and others not. It was one thing his captors seemed to find interest in other than how loudly he could scream; how fast could he heal and from what kind of injuries?
The shape-shifter looked up as a man entered and Alagos stiffened, a low growl starting in his throat. He no longer spoke, words almost a foreign concept. His captors didn't want to hear words anyway. They wanted screams and he provided those well enough. Dull amber eyes watched the man, his body trembling beyond his control. There was a spark of curiosity that welled in him, though. This person was new. He was dressed far more richly than the other men and he bore a strange scar on his right cheek. The man's black eyes studied him like one would look at an interesting animal and Alagos bared his teeth, his growl growing louder as the man crouched just out of range.
"Rinobic tells me you are a dragon."
The sound of speech, civilized speech startled the shape-shifter and his chains clanked harshly as he jerked, his back hitting the wall and wrenching a gasped moan through his teeth. He felt tears sting his eyes and sent up a prayer for strength he did not have. It had become a daily thing and he couldn't even remember why he prayed to live a little longer, why he didn't just give in an die. He'd had plenty of opportunity, but his spirit simply refused to go out. His amber eyes came back to focus on the man before him when he was sure he wouldn't cry. They simply stared at one another and the dark-haired male stood, folding his arms.
"I was told you could speak."
All he received was a snarl as Alagos' canines grew to fangs. It was the only threat he could make, but the man wasn't impressed and the shape-shifter started to tremble violently as the door opened once more and someone he did recognize walked in. Rinobic smirked and glanced at the new person. "Do you want to stay for the fun?"
The first man's dark eyes met Alagos' amber and a small smile came to his mouth. "Yes, I think I will." He looked Rinobic with a gleam in his expression that Alagos easily recognized and he shut his eyes, wanting with everything in him to curl up and disappear. He couldn't though, and he couldn't stop his ears from hearing. His mind had already begone to retreat inside itself, the only defense he had in this situation.
"He's afraid of fire?"
Rinobic's voice contained a note of satisfaction. "Yes, we discovered that one early on. Haven't used it in a while though."
"Good. Bring him."
Gweltari knew she didn't want to see anymore. She couldn't. Not now and the woman tried to get the shape-shifter's attention as she watched more men come in, grabbing Alagos as he struggled. She frantically tried to search for an escape for him, for her as the shape-shifter suddenly screamed, heat rippling through her mind with scorching pain, the smell of burnt flesh coming to her nose. Her cries for them to stop, for the memory to stop fell on deaf ears and she snarled, fury and an overwhelming surge of protectiveness going through her. She used it with all the mental strength she could, lashing out at the memory, shattering it.
Alagos' choked sobs were the first thing she heard when her mind finally settled and the woman felt tears streaming down her own face. She paid them no mind though as her eyes snapped to the white-haired male. Her fingers were no longer on his cheek because he had moved to the ground, laying on his side, curling around his stomach protectively as his body heaved with quiet tears and he shook. The fact that he made such a small amount of sound and just the sight of him brought a wave of grief to her heart that nearly made it hard to breathe. Gweltari moved to his head and laid the back of her fingers against his cheek as she tried to steady her own heart with little success. She felt him still, fear flooding her mind and his sobs choked off as if strangled. Gweltari moved her fingers instantly, slowly, soothingly and her other hand started through his hair.
"Shhh, it's me. I'm here, Alagos. I..I'm here." She couldn't tell him everything was fine. She'd never felt further from 'fine' in her life, but she could let him know he wasn't alone. He'd been alone for so long... She wasn't about to let him be that way ever again. Gweltari continued to run her hands through his white hair and down his cheek, feeling him relax slowly with relief. She sniffled, her breathing just as shaky as his and the shape-shifter finally opened his eyes, his amber gaze meeting her own green-gray one.
"I'm sorry." He shouldn't have shown her...
Gweltari shook her head, her anger rising as her eyes hardened. "No! Don't you ever say that again! Not for this!" She bit her lip against bursting into tears as he flinched and looked down at him through watery eyes. Her mind brushed his, asking and the shape-shifter's eyes slipped shut even as his mind opened to hers, accepting the comfort she brought. Gweltari swallowed, her eyes tracing a few of the scars with a new understanding even as she kept herself calm for his sake. The one on his shoulder, the dagger. The one on his arm, a brand. The ones on his stomach...burns. Her eyes closed as she shook with both profound sorrow and rage, not longer able to control the two emotions. Not even for him.
Green-gray eyes opened in surprise when the woman felt a brush of something against her cheek and she looked down to find Alagos looking back up at her, his eyes steady. There was something about feeling someone so angry for what had happened to him that soothed the male. For the first time in a very long time, someone truly understood something about him and cared. His mind flowed through hers, both of them still too knew to understand everything about the other person, but their bond strong enough to comfort, to calm. He spoke slowly, his voice slightly hoarse. "Thank you."
Gweltari gave a choked laugh and shook her head, taking a deep breath and letting it out shakily. She removed her fingers from Alagos' hair reluctantly as he sat up, pulling the blanket around his lithe frame again and they were both very quiet for several minutes. The woman couldn't stand not knowing, though, not after what she'd seen and the question slipped out softly. "When...when did that happen?"
Blank amber eye looked up to meet her questioning gaze and Gweltari once again didn't like the way he hid so much emotion, but Alagos didn't seem to know how to show it. He'd spent so long building shields and walls to keep out the pain, to show nothing that it was second nature to keep his eyes devoid of any true emotion. He tilted his head slightly reminding her of his wolfish nature. "Which one?"
"The d..dagger. Your shoulder." She watched Alagos swallow hard and look away, toward the trees. "Two weeks into my captivity."
"Your arm?"
"...two month into it."
"Two months?" She knew her voice shook and Gweltari closed her eyes, fighting for control as the anger built again. "The burns?" She felt him closing down and opened her eyes, meeting his own. "Alagos." His name was from her own mind was all it took to make the clouds fade from his gaze and he gave a shaky sigh, running a hand though his beyond messed up hair. "The ones you saw were done n..nine months after I was captured." Gweltari's rage spiked and he felt it. A shiver ran through his lithe frame, but it wasn't one entirely of fear but also a strange type of comfort.
"How l..long were you held by them?"
His amber eyes slid shut and the woman knew she was not going to like the answer. A chill ran down her spine when he replied, his voice barely above a whisper. "Eight years."
His hand shot out without needing to look up first, grabbing the woman's uninjured wrist as she tried to surge to her feet, more fury and horror than she knew what to do with racing through her heart, her mind and body. Eight years! The shape-shifter pulled her back down and her good hand clenched, still in his grip. Her teeth gritted so hard he thought she might hurt herself and he'd never felt safer in his entire life as she hissed, her words spat with enough venom to kill a Ringwraith had one been alive.
"Who are they?" Her green-gray eyes, filled with a righteous fire, met his own amber ones and Alagos felt a surge of warmth unlike anything he'd ever experienced before, it lapped at his mind with a fierce possessiveness and he let it in, feeling something click into place in his head, another piece of the puzzle. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips and the beginning of true joy started in his eyes where they had been blank before. Gweltari was too angry to comprehend it at the moment, though, and the shape-shifter spoke softly. "They're dead, Nahisya. There is nothing you can do."
The woman was not satisfied with the answer, though and her eyes held his own, refusing to let him go. Eight years and so many scars she knew didn't show on his body, healed too quickly. He was scared and wary because of what had happened to him, he was the person who sat before her because of the hurt he'd been through and she would know who had done it. "Who were they, Alagos?" Her voice had gone quiet, but no less hard and the shape-shifter answered her, knowing he had to. She was his bonded. He had to answer. The fact didn't scare him anymore, though.
"Easterlings. They were Easterlings."
Gweltari closed her eyes slowly and nodded, stilling after that. Worry ran through Alagos and his mind brushed her own hesitantly. "Nahisya?" Green-gray eyes opened to meet his amber and the woman finally saw the small sense of peace that resided in Alagos' amber gaze. It calmed her heart if not her mind and she smiled a bit, the expression shaky, but there. "I'm here."
The next morning was surprisingly normal.
Both Alagos and Gweltari woke to the sound of the camp being packed up and the woman groaned, stretching, but not making any move to get up. The white wolf looked down at her in amusement from where he lay pressed against her side and snorted before standing. Gweltari squeaked indignantly as the cold air rushed to fill the place his body had been and she opened her eyes to glare at him. Amber eyes only laughed mockingly down at her, but unlike most times, he actually meant it.
The woman scrambled up and took a swipe at his head, a blow that the white wolf easily avoided, a chuckle resounding through her head as he darted a few steps away grinning as only a wolf could. Gweltari stilled, a smile coming to her face. It was good to hear that sound after the night they'd had and she sent an affectionate wave to the shape-shifter as she stood and began to start her own packing. She missed the way Alagos stopped, blinking as warmth flowed through him, whispering words he didn't understand into his heart. He found he didn't have to understand, though, as the feeling didn't call for it. It just required acceptance.
The shape-shifter gave it and the affection wrapped around his heart and mind, bringing with it a sense of safety and an intense feeling of like from Gweltari that made him shiver with pleasure. He only realized his tail was wagging when Gweltari's laughter rang through the camp and he felt her hand ruffle his ears, surprising him. He ducked away from it, partly out of wolf-instinct and partly because he truly was not expecting the touch and his body was not used to it. Her smile was wide, though, taking no offense. "You look much too cute when you do that. It ruins the scary wolf affect." She winked and the canine growled after her, but couldn't find it in himself to even be annoyed.
He shook his coat out and then shifted quickly, reaching down to grab his shirt and other articles of clothing - now dry - slipping them on quickly. He looked up to find both Thalbor and Taurnar staring at him, their eyes wide, but they said nothing and quickly returned to their tasks. Alagos knew the image of his lithe body covered in silver-white scars wouldn't be leaving their minds soon. The thought bothered him and Gweltari looked over, her eyes questioning. The shape-shifter only shook his head, though, his hair falling forward and she frowned, but didn't press. He wasn't sure why he cared what the twins thought anyway, but something in him was changing, desiring to be...well, accepted. He wanted to heal and the realization left him blinking into the trees, surprised, but not afraid.
Gweltari finally had her stuff packed and she looked around at the other Rangers. It slowly occurred to her that there were only seven horses in the clearing and each was being mounted by a rider. She didn't have time to worry about it, though, as she felt a strong push at her back. She turned to meet the eyes of a white stallion and Alagos merely looked at her calmly as she smiled slowly and stroked his nose.
"Thank you."
Alagos snorted and the woman chuckled, knowing he wasn't going to speak. That was the funny thing about the bond between them. They had every opportunity to use it, to speak silently to each other to ask about problems or just...talk, but both of them still found themselves using words out loud or letting their emotions, a glance, a mind-brush, an action speak for them. Gweltari had a strange feeling that this wasn't going to change and she found she didn't mind in the slightest. It didn't matter if he didn't speak overmuch or that she worked better with a touch than words. They were compatible and the woman knew that the Rishten was not given by chance, but orchestrated by One far wiser than they.
She stroked the stallion's white neck as soon as she was on his back, silently asking if he was still all right. She didn't receive any audible answer, but it wasn't needed as the shape-shift simply leaped forward and into a gallop, making her laugh in surprise. She heard the hooves of seven horse spring after them as they raced through the woods.
Alagos was actually tired when they finally stopped for the night and the feeling was a good one for him. He rarely slept well, but he always slept best when exhausted. The nightmares didn't come then. The horse shook out his mane, looking after Gweltari as she worked with Niluphel, both of the females laughing as they talked. He wouldn't tell her, but Alagos found her beautiful. The thought made him nervous though. Was it the Rishten that made his eyes follow her movements or something else entirely? Did he want to be near her, see her smile because of the bond between them or...
The shape-shifter shook his head again, snorting and his amber eyes glanced at the woman again. She was looking at him, a puzzled expression on her face, but was quickly distracted by Niluphel and Zainaben, the sixteen year old boy having joined the conversation. Alagos was glad for it. His thoughts were too confusing for him to sort out at this point. He didn't need trying to explain them to her on top of it. The white horse looked around, noting where the humans were before shifting silently and swiftly.
He yawned widely and ran a hand through his hair only to jump when someone else ruffled it in a rough way, but not enough to hurt. Alagos whirled, barely suppressing a growl and was met with Thalbor's smiling face. The Ranger tilted his head, indicating the fire he and Taurnar had built. His voice was friendly, a tone the shape-shifter had never heard the gruff man take. "Come. Join us." Thalbor said no more, only watching as Alagos remained still, his body tense and looking like he might flee. A shiver raced through the shape-shifter's body and he found his eyes meeting Gweltari's green-gray ones from across the camp. She was watching the interaction with sharp interest, only feeling his side of the situation. Right now, Alagos knew she was feeling the tremble of fear that went through him along with a great struggle of indecision.
"Alagos?"
The shape-shifter closed his eyes, his fists clenching at his side and Thalbor looked between his sister and the white-haired male, confused, but willing to wait - it was something that was not easy for him, but everyone could learn something new and he was learning patience swiftly.
"I don't know what to do."
The woman's eyes narrowed and she looked like she might stand, but paused, glancing at her brother. "What's wrong?" Alagos didn't immediately answer and he didn't exactly tell her what was going on, but Gweltari soon realized she didn't need to know the details as her shape-shifter spoke again. "I want to trust them. They're your brothers." He opened his eyes and they met hers from across the distance, intense in their questioning look. "Do you trust them?"
Gweltari nodded slowly, her eyes never leaving his. She suddenly understand with a fierce fear the power she could hold over Alagos. He trusted her. She was the only person he trusted...and he would believe what she told him unless proven otherwise. It was not a blind trust or even naivety on his part, but a bond that was beginning to surpass even the Rishten. The Rishten had been the start, yes, but it was starting to go beyond that at a very quick rate. She was helping him heal, but that healing brought him closer to her than anyone else, made him trust her to a dangerous degree if she chose to use it unwisely. Gweltari's voice came out quiet. "Yes. I do, with my life."
Amber eyes slid shut and Thalbor grew worried as the shape-shifter took a shaky breath and swallowed hard before opening his eyes once more. He didn't speak, but simply nodded slowly and Thalbor smiled slightly, turning and leading the way back to the fire. Alagos followed slowly and Gweltari looked after him, brushing her mind against his, sending a feeling of approval. She smiled at the ripple of pleasure the simple positive endearment brought to him and turned her attention back to Niluphel, her mind entirely open to the shape-shifter's own if something should go wrong.
Alagos, for his part, was jumpy as he joined Thalbor and Taurnar by the fire. The twins were seated on a convenient fallen tree, but the shape-shifter didn't join them, lowering himself to the ground, his entire body feeling like an electric current ready to spring into action. What he'd told Gweltari was true. He wanted to trust the two men before him, but he was unsure how to do it. His body hardly trusted Gweltari even if his heart and mind did. He knew that not even his mind trusted the twins and certainly not his heart or body. He watched them through the white hair that fell over his eyes and Taurnar was the first to speak, his entire posture relaxed and giving off no threat. "I'm glad you joined us."
The shape-shifter tilted his head, confused, wary. "What do you want from me?"
Taurnar sighed and stood, aware that sharp amber eyes watched his every move. Alagos stiffened further, his very presence almost crackling with fear and tension as the man sat down with his back to the flames, slightly in front of him and to the side, enough space between the shape-shifter and the fire to do so. Taurnar was encouraged that the white-haired male did not move, though, and his gray eyes met amber ones directly. "Alagos, Thalbor and I don't want to hurt you any more than Tari does. We met in a less than pleasant fashion and I am sorry for that. We only want to get to know you." His voice was quiet, patient, like one would talk to a skittish animal and after a long, long moment, Alagos raised a brow, the tension no less present, but the feeling of needing to flee sinking down to a tolerable level.
"I'm not going to bite you."
Thalbor's snort of laughter made the shape-shifter jump and the other man came to join them on the ground, seating himself on Alagos' opposite side, but slightly ahead of him like his brother, allowing the shape-shifter to see them both easily. "You could have fooled me on that account." Taurnar had to smile, agreeing with his twin. "You haven't exactly given the impression that you wouldn't hesitate to bite us, Alagos."
"And you didn't give me any reason to feel like I didn't need to." The retort was sharp, quick and both twins blinked in surprise, but started to grin. So there was something other than hurt and fear in the white-haired male...there was an intelligent mind and a sarcastic temper. The brothers could work with that. Taurnar raised his hands in a peace gesture, ignore the way Alagos seemed to flinch back slightly at the movement and shook his head. "True enough." He glanced at his twin and saw that Thalbor had an uncharacteristic expression of uncertainty on his face. It concerned Taurnar, but he didn't get a chance to ask what the problem might be as Thalbor seemed to make up his mind and spoke to Alagos.
"Why do you fear humans?"
Alagos stilled and they both watched his eyes go blank, blanker than they'd been before, darker perhaps. He didn't move, though, and they were surprised when he spoke. They were unaware that Gweltari's attention had snapped to them and that her mind was joining with the shape-shifter's, calming his frantically beating heart. She knew he didn't want to feel this way and it hurt her that she couldn't do more. Still, it seemed to be enough to keep him from bolting and the twins were surprised when the actually received an answer. It was given through gritted teeth, but it was an answer.
"Because humans bring pain. They don't like my kind."
Taurnar searched the face before him and he spoke softly, remembering the scars they'd seen that morning, starting to truly guess at their origin. "Not all humans are like that, Alagos." He watched as a shudder wracked the shape-shifter's lithe frame and moved with a clear intention in mind, sitting directly beside the Alagos and laying a hand on his shoulder. It was a gentle touch, but the Ranger felt the tremors increase violently. He didn't move and glancing out of the corner of his eye, he saw Thalbor motioning Gweltari to stay. The woman didn't look mad, only worried, but she stilled, her eyes focused on Alagos with intensity.
"I am not like that. Thalbor is not like that. We are hot-tempered, but we are not cruel. We don't want to hurt you. We want to be your friends." Taurnar whispered it and he felt the shudders under his hand slow slightly as silent tears slipped down the shape-shifter's face. Alagos didn't speak or move, but as the hard tremors finally died down to small trembles the twins knew they'd made some kind of progress. They sat in silence for a few minutes, letting Alagos regain some of his bearings before Thalbor broke the solemn mood.
The more action-oriented twin reached out with little hesitation and ruffled Alagos white hair before the shape-shifter could move. The Ranger grinned. "There, that wasn't so hard, was it?" The teasing note was clear and Alagos found himself shocked by how...brotherly it had sounded. He felt something inside him uncurl very slowly, curious like a small child and Thalbor didn't know what hit him. He was sitting one moment and falling over backward the next, nothing visible having touched him. Taurnar burst out laughing, not knowing what had happened, but not caring either. It was funny enough to see the expression on his twins face even without knowing how Alagos had managed it - for he was certain it had been the shape-shifter's doing.
Thalbor sat up slowly, blinking and his gray eyes met a pair of smirking amber. The man gave him a funny look. "How did you do that?" There was no doubt in his mind that Alagos had done it and he asked the question with curiosity only, no anger in his voice. The shape-shifter's mouth curled into a very small smile and Taurnar, still seated directly beside him, felt some tension drain from the white-haired male. His answer was soft. "Wind."
Thalbor blinked and said with the utmost seriousness, "Can you teach me to do that?" Taurnar found it difficult to stop laughing this time.
The next day, evening...
Something was wrong. Something had been wrong since yesterday evening, but Alagos would not tell her what it was and Gweltari was growing frustrated. Part of his mind was closed to her and they'd gotten so far into the other's head that she knew it was the part that his gifted resided in. She could block it from overwhelming him, but she couldn't block him from drawing it out and that was what he'd done yesterday. She had felt it, but she hadn't understood what he'd been told. The shape-shifter had gone into the woods alone when her brothers had finally felt that he wasn't simply fleeing from them out of blind fear and Gweltari had let him, knowing that the nearness of the humans around him were getting to be too overwhelming for his mind and body to take. He was making progress, but it was still slow progress.
She had been talking with her brothers after Alagos had left them later in the night when it happened and she felt the voices slam into her, clamoring for attention. She'd immediately stood, her eyes focused on the trees and Thalbor had stood as well, holding her shoulder tightly. But Gweltari hadn't tried to go anywhere or stop Alagos' gift as she'd listened with the shape-shifter. With their combined shields it hadn't been able to get through at all and she was worried about what it might be telling him now. What message was strong enough that it had drawn his attention, made him call the power forward? She hadn't heard it in almost two weeks and she was nervous to realize she'd almost forgotten it was there.
It was a mistake she wasn't going to make again. Gweltari knew that with certainty as she glanced over at the shape-shifter once more. He was in human form, sitting on a large rock that marked the edge of a sheer drop-off. They had made it to the top of a mountain pass and the sky was just now growing gray and dark. The Rangers had stopped early because one of the horses had stepped on a sharp rock and needed to rest it before they could go on. Gweltari watched as the wind picked up Alagos white hair and he seemed to relax into it slightly. He'd said he had a talent with wind...
She stood, walking toward him and the white-haired male stiffened again, she saw it before she even reached him. The simple action brought both a feeling of hurt and anger to her chest and she glared as he jumped from the rock and headed toward the woods, trying to avoid her. It wasn't going to work. Gweltari growled under her breath as she ran after him and her shout as much as her anger stopped him before he could disappear entirely.
"Where are you going!"
Alagos sighed and turned to face her and Gweltari was worried at the weariness she sensed in him, the dark circles under his eyes. He wasn't sleeping well and she knew it was the nightmares. She would sometimes wake in the morning with them still drifting somewhere in her mind, unattainable before fading into a cloud of mist. She never saw them and knew she wouldn't unless Alagos allowed her to. All this ran through her mind quickly, but it did not stop her temper from spiking when he replied. "You don't understand."
The words hit her like kindle for a fire and her green-gray eye snapped with an anger that was for the first time, directed at him. "No, I don't! You won't tell me! I know something is wrong, Alagos! I'm not stupid and I can feel you just as easily as you can feel me. I know you and I know something is wrong. You used your gift! What did it tell you? Why are you pushing me away again!"
Their eye locked, both hard and Gweltari felt the shape-shifter's anger stir to come against her own. There was something else in there too that she couldn't identify as well, but the woman didn't have time to analyze it as his voice met her ears, growling. "I have to push you away, Gweltari."
"Why! What did I do? Why are you doing this again!"
"Because I don't want to see you hurt!" He shouted it and there was sudden silence. Alagos drew in a shuddering breath and opened his eyes to meet her shocked ones. "Everyone keeps telling me not to hurt you and I don't want to, but you can't stay safe with me. Not now."
Gweltari's voice was a whisper and her mind reached toward his, no longer angry but confused. "What are you talking about?" Her mind brushed his and the shape-shifter seemed to hesitate for a moment before letting her in. The tension in both their bodies drained and Alagos found himself fighting back tears. He couldn't do this. He couldn't leave her. The sudden thought filtered into Gweltari's mind and she gasped, her eyes flying open to meet his and the fear he saw there was a like a punch to the stomach. The words came through a numbness that he hadn't realized was creeping up on him.
"I have to go back to Rhûn."
The words hung between them and Gweltari felt like the ground had dropped from under her. She took a step toward him, almost desperate to gain some sense of solidity, fearing he would vanish before her eyes. Her green-gray eyes slipped closed as his hand came up to palm her cheek and her own hands grabbed his, trembling. No, wait. Both of them were shaking and Gweltari knew he had more reason than she did to be doing so.
"Why?" The question came out choked. Why did he have to return there? Hadn't he given enough of his life to the East? The anger stirred in her again and the shape-shifter's fingers moved slightly under her own hands, soothing just as much as his mind joined with hers did. The woman's own mind was comforting the fear that radiated from him and together they were keeping each other calm.
"The Prince of the Four Kings. I have to find him, Nahisya and you c..can't..." He couldn't complete the sentence and Gweltari shook her head, dark curls brushing against his arm and her hands. She still held his tightly. "You're not leaving me." Her eyes met his amber ones and she saw the slow bloom of relief that came to his gaze along with a new kind of fear. The East was where he'd been hurt for eight years and perhaps gone through many more things that she was not yet aware of. He didn't want to take her there. He didn't want to risk losing her and so he'd been trying to leave her, to make himself accustomed to the pain of forcing himself to separate from her.
The only problem had been Gweltari herself. She was much too stubborn to let him go. The woman sighed and stepped forward, wrapping her arms about his middle in a hug. It was a such a simple action, but it sent a jolt through Alagos, a feeling of..of...home. He felt home and the realization caused tears to trail down his face as his own arms came up to hold his bonded close. Her head only came to his chest and he turned his own to rest on top of hers, a shudder going through him.
"I don't want to lose you."
Gweltari moved her head, making him move his as she looked up and the woman smiled, reaching up to brush away a tear with her thumb. "You're not going to." Alagos nodded after a moment and finally released her. Gweltari wasn't sure why her cheeks flushed red, but she stepped back with a smile and sighed, crossing her arms before looking back up at him. "When do you have to leave?"
Alagos ran a hand through his hair, still reluctant about the idea of taking her East, but he knew that she wasn't going to let him go alone. He was starting to doubt he would have had the strength to do it anyway. She'd thoroughly wrapped herself around him and there was no going back from that. "Today, but tomorrow will work."
Gweltari knew her father and brothers were not going to take the news well and she approached them slowly, swallowing hard when the twins looked up, smiling at her. They'd made such good progress with Alagos the night before, and they were truly starting to accept and like the shape-shifter. It was more than she'd hoped for, but Gweltari knew this might very well send them back into over-protective mode, making them view Alagos as a threat more than a potential brother. Gweltari knew the signs to look for when they were beginning to warm to someone and she'd seen it the night before when Thalbor had ruffled Alagos hair not once, but twice. It had been a clear show of like on her brother's part and while she wondered at the change, it had made her smile, too. Thalbor and Taurnar had never had a younger brother and they seemed to be interested in the idea. Gweltari knew it would work healing on Alagos, too.
And now she was coming to them with news that had the potential to shatter all that. It didn't sit well in her heart and she couldn't return her brother's smile, instantly alerting them to the fact that something was wrong. She saw their gray eyes dart about the camp. "Where is Alagos?" The way the question was said, not with accusation but with the first hints of worry made her close her eyes and swallow hard. Her brothers took it as a bad thing and she had to grab Thalbor's arm before he could dash off.
"He's fine. Or...as fine as can be expected."
Taurnar gave her a swift look. "What's wrong?" Thalos came to join his sons and raised a brow, interested as well, but feeling the first wisps of apprehension. Gweltari wouldn't meet any of their eyes for a moment, but finally seemed to gather some courage and looked up. "Alagos has to leave and I'm not leaving him."
There was a stunned silence and Thalos was the first to break it, looking at his daughter with both anger and exasperation. "What are you talking about?"
Hard, green-gray eyes met her father's gray and Gweltari's voice was steady, surprising even her. She noticed Alagos' mind joined with her own a moment later and she smiled inwardly. She'd told him to stay out of sight until she'd at least calmed her family, but the shape-shifter had not left completely and she was grateful for the fact. "I am going with him. He has a task that needs completing and it is time for him to depart. I will not let him go without me." She watched her father calmly, knowing this would hit him the hardest. She didn't look at her brothers, almost afraid to see their expressions.
Thalos didn't speak for a long time, seeming to hold his tongue until he was certain of what would come off it when he finally did voice his thoughts. He was wise in that regard and Gweltari respected and loved him for it. "We just got you back, Tari. Your mother, your sisters haven't seen you in months." The woman's eyes filled with tears, but she blinked them away and simply nodded, sighing shakily, but shaking her head as well, feeling a resolve settle in her heart. "I am sorry, father, but...Alagos is more important now." Gweltari realized he always would be and so she and the shape-shifter finally figured out the hold Alagos had over her. If she could settle his heart and help him to heal or strike him with the shattering blow, he could take her from everything she held dear and keep her captive by his side or he could surrender his will to hers.
Gweltari watched as the words sank into the older Ranger and she chanced a look at her brothers. Their expressions were mixed, something she had not expected. They looked both angry and resigned, sorrowful and accepting and the woman had to wonder just what kind of change had started to come over them. It would seem that Alagos was not the only one learning. Gweltari looked at her father again and winced at the pain and anger that shone in his eyes. She expected harsh words and was startled to hear Thalbor's voice, rough with emotion, but steady defend her against their father before the older man had spoken.
"She is not a child, father. Tari knows what she is giving up and what she is doing. She trusts Alagos and so do I. He will not let her be harmed." Taurnar nodded, agreeing with his twin and he settled a hand on Gweltari's shoulder, feeling it shake with the tears she was trying to hold in.
They'd defended her! They were on her side. The knowledge filled her with a surge of fierce love for the two hot-tempered men and she smiled up at both of them before looking again at her father. Thalos looked between his three children and gave a sigh that was more defeated than anything and Gweltari rushed forward to hug him, knowing the storm was over. Thalos held her tightly to him and looked down at her curly hair, fighting the urge to cry. He didn't like this. He didn't want to let her go and certainly not with a stranger - to him - that seemed to only be stealing his child from him. The man knew there was no stopping her, though, barring tying her up and he knew that wouldn't work. All three of his children before him were much too loyal to each other to allow that and Thalos was more than certain that Alagos would be right there, snapping and snarling at anyone who even tried to restrain Gweltari. He couldn't fault the shape-shifter the protectiveness he seemed to have toward the woman, to do so would be wrong.
"I will come back, father." The voice was soft, muffled and Thalos sighed, pulling back. He studied his daughter and shook his head, hugging her again. "I pray it will be so, Tari."
Next morning...
Gweltari looked up with apprehension as her brothers approached her. The woman had just finished packing, saying short goodbyes to Zainaben and Niluphel, and now sighed as she stood, hoping with everything in her that they hadn't changed their minds since last night. She'd spend the night before with her family, knowing she would be leaving them the next morning, and both Thalbor and Taurnar had been encouraging, understanding of what she told them. Her father was still merely resigned to her leaving, but the twins...well, they seemed to have finally realized she wasn't a child anymore and it had surprised Gweltari, but pleased her.
The twins now approached her with worried expressions, but also small smiles and the woman knew that they had not changed their minds, but were only struggling in the natural way a sibling does when another sibling leaves. Gweltari embraced them both tightly, working to contain the tears that wanted to flow from her. She would see them again. She couldn't believe otherwise. She couldn't and they seemed to think the same thing.
Thalbor was the first to speak and neither his brother or sister were surprised by the fact. He pulled Gweltari's hair gently, making her smile at the at first annoying and then comfortingly familiar gesture that he'd done since she had hair enough to pull. "Carry your sword close. I don't want to receive news that you've lost another one." His sister gaped indignantly and hit his arm, making the man chuckle. Gweltari nodded. "I will and don't you go rushing into danger without looking properly. I don't need news that you're laid up in bed because you hit your head against a low hanging branch again."
Her brother lunged for her and Gweltari laughed, leaping away and behind Taurnar who only shook his head and chuckled at the two, bringing his sister into a one-armed hug, looking down at her with a serious expression in his gray eyes. "Stay safe, Tari. We thought we'd lost you once. We would be sorely grieved to truly lose you this time."
"I know, but Alagos will watch out for me."
"Aye, but it is you watching out for him that concerns me. You're far too reckless, little sister." Taurnar ruffled her curly hair and she jerked away, smiling, but trying to look upset as she smoothed it out. "I don't know what you speak of."
The man raised a brow, but didn't speak and the three hugged again. The parting between them would be hard and they all knew it. The siblings looked up as their father approached and the twins let Gweltari walk away from them and toward Thalos. The woman hugged her father tightly, breathing in his scent, a smell of home that she would not be close to by the end of this day. The thought pained her, but did not lessen her resolve to go with her shape-shifter and that was clear in her green-gray eyes as she looked up into the older man's gray ones.
Thalos sighed and kissed her forehead gently before resting his hands on her shoulders. "I am very proud of you, Gwelutarien. Do not soon forget it, my daughter."
Gweltari smiled, the tears finally spilling over and nodded solemnly. "I won't, father." She hugged the man again and Thalos rested his chin on her head, sighing quietly. "You will be in my heart. I will miss you."
"And I you, father." The woman pulled back, smiling a bit sadly, but determinedly. She was soon looking behind her back, though, at cliff-side. What she saw took her very breath and Gweltari stared, transfixed by the white dragon who looked steadily back at her with glowing amber eyes. The woman was barely aware of slipping out of her father's hold and approaching the still creature. It was only when her hand met warm scales that she seemed to waken with a jolt like lightening the surged through her blood, heating it, triggering an excited response of anticipation. She felt Alagos' mind flow into her own, the process easier every time it occurred, and the happiness she sensed from him was great, but there was only a feeling of uncertainty. Gweltari knew why. He was afraid of her reaction. She knew he was a dragon, but she'd never seen him as such and he was scared that in this form, she might reject him.
Gweltari looked into the great eyes that looked down at her, her fingers trailing lightly over the white scales on his voice was soft, but sure, confident and she let a feeling of awe and happiness seep into him, her own emotions. "You are amazing, my shape-shifter."
She felt the uncertainty in his mind slip away and smiled as the shape-shifter rumbled deep within his chest, the sound something like a purr and a wolf's snarl. It was the quietest sound she'd heard from any dragon she'd met, but Gweltari thought it suited who Alagos was. He wasn't loud in any other shape, she didn't expect him to be so in his original form either. She watched the shape-shifter's eyes look past her and glanced over her shoulder to see the other Rangers watching them with mixed expressions. Her brothers were the only ones to approach and they did so slowly, but without fear. Taurnar laid his hand on Alagos' nose and smiled. He was pleased that the white dragon only flinched back slightly, before stilling again, tolerating his touch.
"Perhaps it is you I should warn to not be reckless!" The man quieted suddenly after that, though, and his voice became more serious as his gray eyes met amber. "You will be missed, Alagos. Look after my sister. We trust you." Alagos blinked down at him, but nodded slowly. "I will." Taurnar gave a curt nod and stepped back to join his father, squeezing Gweltari's shoulder as he passed her. Thalbor came forward a bit more slowly than his brother and he paused before the dragons, frowning. He finally made his displeasure known.
"Now here is a problem. How am I to mess up your hair if you haven't got any?" His tone was so serious that Gweltari burst out laughing and Alagos grinned, his teeth gleaming in the morning light. He turned his head slightly so that his eye was looking directly at the man before him. "Perhaps that was my goal." Thalbor crossed his arms, but Gweltari saw his lips twitch, fighting a smile.
The Ranger finally sighed and touched the shape-shifter's nose. "Thank you for what you taught us. Safe travel to you, Alagos. My brother and I will look for your return and our sister's." He walked away quietly, hugging Gweltari before he went and the woman looked back at her family for a moment, feeling a twinge of weakness. It would be so much easier to simply stay...
"You can."
The woman sighed and shook her head, glancing back at the white dragon who watched her and smiled a bit. "You're not getting away from me that easily, Alagos." The shape-shifter only growled slightly and Gweltari moved to his shoulder, grateful when he crouched, belly to the ground to allow her to get on. He was bigger than Morroch by a bit and the woman had to wonder if she would ever be able to mount with quickness. The thought fled her mind as she settled herself in the hollow between his wings and neck, and the woman felt another flutter of excitement as Alagos suddenly moved, jumping into the air and off the cliff, plummeting before his wings snapped open, making her scream with the shock of it.
The scream wasn't of fear, though, and Gweltari looked down in wonder as her father, brothers and the Rangers grew smaller as the dragon rose into the clear sky. Alagos uttered roar and the woman couldn't hold in her laughter, hanging on tightly to the ridges on his neck, but beyond fear that he would let her fall. She trusted him and she knew that trust was well-placed as she felt his mind slowly moving through hers. He was helping her adjust. It was a surprising fact to her, but Gweltari found herself fascinated by it. She realized that her ears had yet to pop and her body was not cold. She felt no flutter in her stomach or even a small amount of fear.
His mind was calming hers, his gift keeping the wind to a gentle breeze and Gweltari smiled, warmth going through her as she stroked his white scales. It came to her the amount of trust he was giving her, that he'd given to her brothers. He was a dragon and being a dragon had taught him that the world feared or hated him. To let them see him, to let them touch him...it was a greater step than she would have thought him ready for, but Alagos had done it.
Her voice was soft when she spoke, not needing to raise it. "Thank you." Gweltari felt his tail come to brush against her arm before going back out to trail behind him and smiled at the simply happiness that was in his voice.
"You're welcome, Nahisya."
They landed as the sky began to grow dark and Gweltari looked up at the beginning of stars as the white dragon's feet touched the ground, marveling at how far they'd traveled in just one day. Alagos didn't seem overly tired, though, and the fact interested her. She'd have to remember to ask how far a dragon could travel before growing exhausted. It would be a good way to make sure he didn't do that to himself.
The woman smiled at the thought and slid from the scaled back. Her knees promptly buckled and Alagos chuckled at the glare she gave him. Her body may have been used to a horse, but a dragon is not a horse. Their body ripples and twists, flows up and down and generally makes the human body work much differently than it is used to. Gweltari had not be expecting that and Alagos had not thought to warn her. Gweltari stood with a small groan and shook her head with some amusement of her own before going for her pack. Alagos shifted quickly and searched for wood and they soon had a fire going - a fire that Gweltari started without questions as to why he wouldn't. She already knew.
The two ate and then sat in silence for a time, simply letting their bodies rest from the day's travel. Gweltari's hands soon grew restless, though, and she bent over her pack, looking for something. Her family's faces came to her mind and she smiled slightly before a thought occurred to her. Her green-gray eyes strayed to Alagos and the question came out before she could draw it back in.
"Alagos...what happened to them, to your family?"
The shape-shifter started at the question and Gweltari felt a flash of guilt for the fact, but he didn't freeze up, only sighing and looked down at his hands. "They died. All except Dagoryn." Gweltari moved toward the fire from rummaging through her pack and sat on a log, setting to work on an article of clothing. regretting her question, but her curiosity stirring anyway. She wished Alagos wouldn't feel it, but knew he did. She kept her eyes partially focused on Alagos as she spoke again, knowing that he would either answer or not and the only way to know was to ask. "That memory, the one you had on the Flight Ledge...did your mother die then?" She half-expected him to reply, but he only shook his head, still not looking at her and Gweltari could feel the ebb and flow of his emotions. Grief, guilt, anger, fear, a willingness to speak, a great desire to close into himself...
"She saved me. I spent so long wishing she hadn't." The words came quietly into the silence and Gweltari looked up from the hole she was mending in a shirt. Her green-gray eyes focused on Alagos from where he sat on the ground, a safe distance from the fire, looking into it. She didn't need to understand why he chose to speak so suddenly. She only had to listen. Wanted to listen and the woman set her project aside and lowered herself from the small log to the ground, leaning back against it as she waited. Nothing else was forthcoming from the shape-shifter, though, and her mind reached for his, meeting no resistance. She encountered a gentle memory, surprising her, and the woman watched it with curiosity.
Laughter rang through the cave, a childish laughter that rose and fell, squealed and screamed before evaporating into helpless giggles. A white haired woman smiled down at an equally white haired child, tickling him with no mercy as he wiggled and tried to get away, hopelessly trapped and loving it. The boy didn't look older than seven and his amber eyes gleamed with happiness and love for the woman above him. His mother - for anyone could see that she was his mother - laughed as she finally stopped her playful torment and scooped him up into her arms, hugging him tightly until he wiggled away and dashed across the cavern floor with more laughter.
The woman sprang after him and her form changed mid-leap into a beautiful white wolf, graceful and fleet of foot. She weaved under the bellies of other dragons and through humans, cats other wolves and various creatures as she chased after the giggling child. Amber eyes looked back in fearful excitement and the child tripped, landing in sand right as the wolf caught up to him. He shrieked in fear, trying to scramble away, grinning us the woman changed back and caught him with a mock-roar, holding him close once more.
The child eventually quieted after a time, content to be in his mother's arms. He looked up at her for a moment and traced her face with small hands, frowning. The woman smiled down at him, raising a brow. "And what is so fascinating, Nínim?" The child wrinkled his nose in distaste at the name, but answered his mother, his eyes slightly cloudy in a way that sent a streak of cold down her spine. "You shouldn't let Brincu talk to Astir like that. It's not the knowledge dragon's fault that the humans found Treewing. They don't know everything. They couldn't stop it."
The woman only stared at her son, her face startled and then suddenly both amazed and worried. "Alag Thenincoalson, where did you hear that?" The child seemed to shrink down at the use of his full name and bit his lip, looking away until his mother's fingers brought his amber gaze back to her gold one. The child spoke quietly, shrugging a little. "I don't know. The ones in my head told me."
"You hear voices?"
A nod.
"What do you hear?"
"I don't know. Lots of things. I don't understand many of them, Matre." He looked worried and his mother forced herself to relax and kissed his forehead, sweeping back white hair. "All is well, Nínim. Shall we practice your shape-shifting so you can show your father?" The child immediately smiled and scrambled from his mother's lap, making her chuckle and ruffle his hair as she stood. "I will take that as a yes."
Gweltari came back to the present with a small, but sad smile, looking over at her shape-shifter. He'd been so innocent then. The woman was silent for a moment as she studied him. He was looking up at the stars now, his eyes wet, though, the tears didn't fall. "How did they die? Your parents?" She asked the question gently and Alagos looked down from the sky and at her, his expression pained, but that pain dulled over the years. "My father, Thenincoal, died not long after I turned a hundred. It was a dragon sickness and there was nothing that could be done." He grew silent, seemingly at peace with his father's passing, but Gweltari sensed that his mother was in another category altogether and she waited, giving him time to speak.
"My mother, Menelecho..." Alagos stopped and took a shaky breath before closing his eyes and beginning again. "My mother escaped with me and we fled the other dragons. I got away that night." The fact seemed to pain him and Gweltari saw his fists clench. "She didn't." The woman remained quiet, waiting for him to calm again, but his body didn't seem to want to and she saw the beginning of blood leaking from his closed palms. Gweltari was by his side quickly and grabbed both wrists, speaking angrily. "Stop! Alagos, stop!"
The fists loosened and she looked down at the crescent marks of fingernails, dug in so hard they'd drawn blood. Green-gray eyes looked up to meet his guilty amber ones and the woman understood. "It wasn't your fault. Alagos, look at me." His eyes had closed, but now they opened again, unsure and grieved. Gweltari brushed his hair back gently and held his gaze. "It wasn't your fault. You were only a child and the dragons that killed your kind, the guilt is their sin they bear, not yours." He nodded, but couldn't stop the tears and the woman let him weep, humming softly as she rubbed his back, knowing that part of the reason he still grieved so keenly was because of the absence of comfort for that grief for so long.
Alagos eventually steadied himself again, though, and Gweltari crouched back on her knees as he sighed, looking at her for a moment before smirking slightly. "What?" Gweltari smiled and sat back, tucking curly hair behind an ear. "How did you know I-" The shape-shifter raised a brow and his mind swept through hers with amusement. The woman glared, but the glint of amusement in her own eyes was plain to see. "Fine, I do have another question. Did you have any siblings, besides Dagoryn?"
The shape-shifter ran a hand through his hair, calmer now and answered easily, but with some strange sort of regret. "Two. There were two more dragonlings born to my litter. They died shortly after their twelfth year." Gweltari tilted her head, confused and Alagos raised a brow, seeing the question that flashed through her head. He shook his own, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I was not seven in the memory, Nahisya. I was thirty two." The woman blinked, but only nodded and swallowed, speaking quietly. "Litter?"
"Yes, my mother had two litters. I was in the first."
"Morroch is not the same age as you." It was not a question, but Alagos answered anyway, relaxing slightly. These were questions that did not have painful memories attached. He did not remember his two siblings, Ista and Hadron and Morroch was definitely not a topic of grief. The shape-shifter shook his head, breaking a stick with fingers over and over, seeing how small he could make the pieces. "No. I am about two hundred and fifty years older than him."
"Two hundred and fifty..." Gweltari's voice trailed off and Alagos looked up, alarmed at the weak feeling that suddenly flowed from the woman. "Nahisya?" His amber eyes met her green-gray from where she sat in front of him and Gweltari swallowed, speaking before he could ask what was wrong. "Alagos, are dragons immortal?"
Amber eyes narrowed, unsure what her reaction would be and wary of it. Something was wrong and she wasn't letting him see what it was. "No." Gweltari seemed somewhat relieved by his answer and Alagos noted that color came back to her face slowly. The stick was forgotten as he gave her is full attention, nervous about why she seemed to be agitated as she asked her next question. "How long do dragons live?"
"We live very long lives, up to at least four or five thousand years before dying. A dragon that is bonded to one of the elven kind, an immortal, can live for eight or nine thousand years before death."
Gweltari felt her entire body go cold. "Alagos...I won't live longer than a hundred or so at most." It was whispered and the shape-shifter suddenly knew what her fear was. He spoke softly, touching her face to get her to look at him. "You'll live for two thousand years for sure, Nahisya. The Rishten tries to even out species it brings together." Green-gray eyes widened and Alagos felt her surge of both fear and disbelief.
Two thousand years! She? A mortal! Gweltari's eyes suddenly narrowed as another thought struck her. "The Rishten tries to even out the life range between dragon and two-leg?" At Alagos' nod, she stiffened and met his eyes, her own sharp. "What about your life? How long will you live?"
The shape-shifter answered her calmly and Gweltari realized in that moment that Alagos didn't truly care whether he lived unless she was in his life. "I will live about half the lifespan of my kin."
The woman closed her eyes, fighting back a stream of anger. How much more would he give up in life? He already given his family, his freedom, innocence...now he would give up half his life. Gweltari looked down at the ground when she finally opened her eyes, her lips pressed into thin line and she jumped in surprise to feel a warm hand come to palm her cheek, making her look up. Amber eyes met her green-gray and Gweltari swallowed hard, feeling something stir within her that she could not give a name to when he spoke.
"Nahisya, I would rather live half a life with you, my bonded and feel happiness, than live the many years that would have been mine, in bitterness and fear had we never met." Gweltari nodded slowly and rested her hand over his. She sighed. "It's still not fair."
Alagos smirked and in that action she saw both wisdom, but also years of painful experience. "Life rarely is, Nahisya." Gweltari studied him for a moment and finally smiled, her voice soft. "Thank you. I know you didn't choose this, but thank you for accepting it." She felt a stream of emotions go through him and was not alarmed when he slipped his hand away from hers and sat back. He just needed space and she knew that, didn't resent it.
Amber eyes held her green-gray steadily. They still had a long way to go and might for some time, but there was an unbreakable trust between them now and that was enough for both at the moment. Alagos gave her a small smile. "Thank you for not giving up on me."
Side note: Alagos is called "Alag" in the memory because he was only a dragonling and had not received his full name at that time.
Review, please! Don't make me beg...I totally will!