Disclaimer: meow meow meow
~~~~SVU~~~~
Eventually Amanda had gotten used to the loneliness and the guilt. It was like a parasite living on her shoulder and never letting her forget. Every time she saw them or heard them, her guilt would flare even after all this time, but she accepted it. It was her punishment for being so stupid, for falling in love with a human and revealing herself to him. She had known it was a risk but she had done it anyway. She deserved what happened to her even if her family didn't. She just hoped that there wasn't a small part of them existing inside those beasts, seeing the carnage they cause and wishing they could stop themselves. Her family didn't deserve to suffer for her mistakes. Amanda turned around and flew back towards her home. She landed gracefully in front of her home and started her "chores". She walked around the perimeter of her property and checked on the fence. She had built it herself not to keep out the dragons but to mark her territory to them. They could burst through or over it but for the most part didn't. She marked it with her scent by dumping her chamber pots around it. The dragons may be unthinking, but they did run on instinct. And instinct told them to mark their territory as well as stay out of others'. Few things could kill the beasts, but they could still get wounded and none of them particularly wanted that. Amanda was enough of a beast herself that they obeyed her scent markers. Usually. She had just marked it the night before so she wouldn't need to mark it again until the scent faded. Next, she went to the small barn that she used as a shed and retrieved her bow and arrow. She had a cellar that she sometimes used to store food, but she normally used that over winter. She preferred fresh prey.
She ran through the forest, flapping her wings behind her to give her extra speed. She almost loved this feelings as much as flying. She really didn't have to travel so far since there was prey everywhere, but she wanted the extra workout, the extra time and feeling of warm weather. She ran until she reached her favorite clearing. She was feeling rabbit today so she went to a nearby tree and climbed up it. She settled along the branch and crouched, unmoving, listening for the sound of the right heartbeat. She could hear plenty of mice and other rodents as well as birds and deer. And then she heard it. It was coming her way. She looked down into the tall grass, waiting to spot the light brown coat. She didn't have to wait long. Moving slowly and silently, she raised her bow and loaded an arrow into it. She pulled it back and aimed expertly. She let the arrow fly and watched as it hit its mark. The rabbit didn't even feel it as it pierced right through its heart. Quickly, she swooped down and scooped up her kill. It was a nice big one, not quite fat but definitely with enough meat on its bone for her to be full until dinner. Another thing she would've done in winter was make a second kill so she wouldn't have to go out again later. But in the summer, she was outside all day and would look forward to going hunting again.
She went back home slower than before, running without the added effect of her wings. Always she was listening for the sound of her family. She was always prepared for an attack. She didn't stand much of a chance against them but she was highly skilled with defensive actions. She always had a machete with her and she could also use her bow and arrow if she needed. But mostly she would choose to outrun them, lead them away from her home and head towards the river where she could stop them from following her scent. The smell of the water for some reason distracted them and messed up their senses. She passed over her own scent markers without incident and set about making a fire in her pit. Her beast side called for raw, bloody meat, but Amanda refused to give in to that craving. She cooked her meat and ate it sitting on a chair in front of her house. She even ate some fruits and vegetables that she either grew herself or picked from nearby trees. When she was full, she tended to her garden and her house, repairing some of the damage the tough winter had caused. She had a hole in her roof that needed patching first and foremost. Luckily that had happened late in the winter so she hadn't had to deal with snow coming in, but she couldn't risk any rain coming in. After so many years of living alone and repairing her home by herself, she was pretty handy. There had been tools in the barn when she'd found it and anything else she needed she had found (stolen but she didn't like to think of it like that) from traveling humans. She still had a few planks of wood that she had made herself last year since she always liked to be prepared in case something happened during the winter. She would probably need more but for now, she'd just use those. She set about her work, laying down the planks and hammering them down. The hole hadn't been too big so it didn't take too long, perhaps an hour or a little longer. Next she fixed her door which had fallen off one of the hinges and then several more things. It was when she was sweeping the rotting hay from the barn floor when she had an epiphany.
She was bored. Really, REALLY bored. She had done the same things over and over for years. Her summers were the same; her winters were the same; the activities she'd done between summer and winter and winter and summer were the same. Just over and over and over again, and Amanda was suddenly aware of that. She needed something new to do or see. Something exciting without the risk of being discovered or getting hurt. But what? She looked up at the late afternoon sun and thought. Suddenly, she thought of something. She remembered this one beverage she had shared with Dean all those years ago. What had he called it…? It was delicious. It made her throat burn at first, her body feel warm, and her head spin. What the hell was it? Rum! That was it! Rum. She wanted some rum. But how could she get some? She flew up to her roof and looked out of the trees. If she remembered correctly, the Airian Kingdom was about a five day trip to the south. Since it was warm now, the trade would be starting back up. If she played it right, she could find a trade group, wait for them to sleep, and raid their stuff for that delicious liquid. Amanda smiled. It was just the kind of stupid, reckless thing she would do. It would definitely be exciting, and if she was lucky she'd get rum out of it. Yes, she liked this idea. She looked to the sky again. It was too late to head out now. She'd leave first thing in the morning. Excitedly, she jumped from the roof and quickly set about getting ready to leave. She renewed her scent markers, packed a change of clothes, and readied her weapons. She watched as the sun set changed the color of the sky from shades of orange and pink to the blueish-black of night before curling up in her nest so she could have a good night's rest.
~~~~~SVU~~~~~
Olivia had hardly slept last night. She was too eager to get going. She had probably gotten only a couple hours of sleep, but as she woke up that morning she hardly noticed. She quickly got dressed in her traveling clothes, which weren't much different from her training clothes though a little more suited for the journey in that they were a little thicker. She put on her Assassin vest and draped her leather jacket over her arm before sliding and lacing up her shin-length boots. She completed her outfit with her belt of weapons and all her knives. She locked up her home (though she knew Nick would be in to check on things while she was gone; he had a key as did all her fellow Assassins) and quickly went to the barn. Coffee clearly had sensed all the excitement in addition to the change in season and was awake and dancing anxiously in her stall. "Hey baby," Liv cooed. "You look like you're ready to go. That's my girl."
She had spent much of her time the day before getting Coffee and her things ready to go; she had stretched the muscles in all of Coffee's legs by lifting them up and pulling them gently while she massaged them. Then she had saddled her up and took her to the ring. She let Coffee walk around the outside at a walk for a while before bringing her to a trot and then to a canter. She set up some jumps to jump over and when she felt Coffee was all stretched out and good to go, she got off, took off her saddle and bridle, and hopped back up. While she rode bareback, Liv let her horse gallop as fast as her heart desired around the ring. She knew how much Coffee loved to run, loved the speed and exhilaration of it, even while her human was on her back maybe more because of that. Liv enjoyed it too; she loved just griping onto the soft mane, closing her eyes, and putting trust in her horse while she felt the wind wiz by her. She let Coffee run until she slowed herself to a walk. Horse and rider sluggishly moved along as they cooled down. Then Liv hopped off and picked up her things. Coffee, ever the loyal being, followed Liv without needing to be told. She dropped off the saddle and bridle before leading Coffee down to the wash stall. She used the hose to fill a bucket with water so her horse could drink while she went for the horse soap and grooming supplies. She had lovingly, thoroughly washed her horse and fed her a meal of the usual grain as well as several apples. Then had brushed her beloved mare's coffee-brown coat, mane, and tail. She had braided her tail into a short length so it wouldn't snag on anything during her travels. She had washed the saddle, bridle, and flank bags. By the time she was done, the sun was setting. "Alright love. Tomorrow's the big day so rest up. I'll be back in the morning." Coffee moved her head in almost a nod, like she understood. And maybe she did. Liv smiled, patted her forehead, and kissed her nose before heading to her own bed.
Now, she took her time making sure Coffee was comfortably saddled and bridled. Once she was satisfied, she smiled, "Lookin' good girl. You're gonna turn heads in Sundaria's barns." She chuckled as her horse seemed to stand up a little straighter. "Alright. Don't go gettin' a big head. I need that head to stay in the game." Coffee dipped her head as if in apology and Liv nuzzled her nose with her own. "Come on. Let's go see if everyone else is ready." Coffee followed as Liv led the way towards the front gates. She was pleased to see many of her men as well as Elliot's either already waiting there for her or heading that way. As she approached many smiled and dipped their heads respectfully as they greeted her. She greeted them back before looking for Elliot. She spotted him leading his own horse towards the gathering group. When he looked to her, they smiled. When he reached her, she asked, "So you ready?"
He nodded, "I am. It's hard to leave Kathy though."
"She'll be fine. She's got lots of people looking out for her. You know Fin, Munch, and Nick will check in on her so much she'll probably get sick of them."
He chuckled, "Yah. She'll probably try to ban them within the first few days. She's been pretty mood-swingy lately."
Liv laughed, "Well yah. What did you expect?"
He rolled his eyes with a smile before he said, "Alright alright. Enough about me and my getting sick of my heavily pregnant wife in a totally loving sort of way." They shared another laugh. They waited a little longer so they could give all their men enough time to get there. The traders were all there and ready. Finally, she and Elliot had decided they'd waited long enough and they climbed atop their horses. Seeing their leaders do this, their men followed suit. Liv and Elliot walked to the entrance and Elliot called up, "Cassidy! Open the gates!"
Liv watched as Brian Cassidy, the man in charge of the gate's guard, saluted them before moving to the wheel that would lift the door. As he started turning it and the door began to move upwards, Olivia and Elliot looked at each other with a smile that silently wished the other luck for a good journey and to come home safe. Then they looked to their men and Liv called, "Is everyone ready?"
A loud, excited call of "Hoorah!" answered her.
She and El grinned proudly before she ordered, "Form your ranks!"
Everyone who was not in their assigned position quickly moved to do so. The traders were in the center, two carriages and three carts for each group, while the soldiers surrounded them protectively. Liv and Elliot were in the front to lead with two of their men flanking them on either side. Four men walked on either side of the traders while four more were behind them. Once the gate was fully lifted, both El and Liv turned to look behind them to their runners- the men who ran ahead to make sure the path was clear. At a nod from their leaders, the two runners slapped their horses' rears and took off. They both followed the path until Liv's runner followed the path that went east towards Sundaria while Elliot's continued north towards Moondor. Airia was in the center of the Kingdom. Telemete was to the west, close to the coast, Sarim was to the south east, and Abba was to the south west. The guards atop the gate would've warned them if they spotted any dragons nearby; the runners were for the forest passed where the guards could see. All ready to go, Elliot and Liv both urged their horses forward. They waved to Cassidy and the other guards as they went passed the gate's walls and out to the trail. Instantly, Liv's senses were tight and aware. The soldiers and traders behind them were also silent, their nervousness overwhelming them as they took their first steps out of the city. Liv knew that, eventually during their three day trip, they would relax a bit. But she would not relax until she was safely in Sundaria. When they finally got to the break in the road, Elliot and Liv shared one last loaded, silent look and Liv lead her group away.
~~~~~SVU~~~~~
"Olivia!" she heard an excited voice call to her.
Olivia, her men, and the traders had arrived safely and on-time to Sundaria only a short while ago. There had been absolutely no trouble from the dragons though they had heard them prowling around out there. She hoped that didn't mean they were gathering to cause chaos on their way home. Once they'd arrived, the guards had opened the gates and showed them to the barns and the hotel specifically built and in business for the visiting soldiers. Though Olivia was sure most of them hardly used it; they preferred to go wild in the local bars and find some women to go home with. The traders however took the opportunity to get some rest before they started the trading the next day. After untying the horses from the carriages and making sure all the things they were going to trade were safe, the traders went to find their beds. Olivia had led Coffee to her temporary stall and made sure she was fed, watered, and comfortable. Then she'd watched all her men excitedly go off with Sundaria's soldiers to the bars which was when she'd heard the voice. She smiled before she turned around, instantly recognizing the voice of her lover. "Hello Alex," she said both sounding warm and official.
"How were your travels? It seems as if everything went okay," the blonde looked the part on the outside, but Olivia could see the excited sparkle in her eyes.
"Yes they did. No problems whatsoever. Just glad to be here in your city."
Alex smiled pleased, "So what are your plans for the evening?"
"Well, at the moment nothing."
"Would you like to assist me home now that I've seen you and your men got here okay?"
"I would." Gentlemanly, Olivia held out her arm so Alex could hold on to it before they walked towards the Governor and Governess' mansion. Everyone they passed greeted them with respectful smiles and bows. Upon arrival, servants opened the door for them and asked if they needed anything. Alex told them to bring a bottle of brandy to Alex's room before sending the rest away and leading Olivia upstairs. After the brandy arrived, Olivia and Alex sat around talking, drinking, and laughing. They caught each other up on their winters before talking about random things and making jokes. Then Olivia remembered, "Oh! I almost forgot. Princess Casey sent a letter for you with me."
Alex immediately perked up before trying to cover it up and saying nonchalantly, "She did, did she?"
Liv smartly covered her smirk and she nodded and reached inside her vest. She held out the letter and watched as Alex looked at it hungrily but took it slowly. Olivia also noticed the slightly shaking of her hand. She couldn't hold it back anymore; she smirked and said, "Okay. What's going on?"
Alex blushed, "What? I don't know what you're talking about.
"Uh huh. Sure you don't. Come on Al. You can tell me. You should know by now that I won't judge you."
Alex sighed, "Alright. So maybe I do know what you're talking about."
Liv smiled and slid closer to her on the sofa. Gently, she pushed, "Tell me."
Alex was silent for a moment before finally whispering, "I think… I think I'm in love with her."
Liv's eyes widened, "What? With Casey?" When Alex nodded, Liv fell back against the back of the sofa, "Wow Al. That's… When did this happen?"
"When Trevor and I visited. I… I didn't expect it to happen Liv; I didn't flirt or anything at first even though I thought she was beautiful. But then Trevor left me alone and she came over and we started talking and I don't know… it just sort of happened. She's so smart and witty and God can she make me laugh. And it's like we both just forgot who we were, that we're supposed to keep up appearances. She made me feel special; she made me feel things I've never felt before."
Liv exhaled heavily in shock. Then she asked, "Does she feel the same about you?"
"She didn't say specifically… but yes, I believe she does," she looked down at the letter with a far-off look.
Olivia had never seen her friend like this. She knew Alex didn't love or even really like Trevor. And though she and Liv were good friends who had sex, she was not in love with Olivia. Nor was Liv with her. But she couldn't help but feel a little sad. If Alex had feelings for Casey, that meant their time together was over and Alex had been the best lover she'd ever had. But as long as they stayed friends, she would easily back off. She wanted Alex to be happy. She quickly stood up and cleared her throat before saying, "Well. I'll just leave you alone to your letter. I will gladly take back your response. Just flag me down before I leave, okay? Thanks for the brandy."
"Olivia wait! You don't have to leave," Alex said looking at her guiltily.
"It's okay. I could use the rest anyway."
"Can I see you tomorrow?"
"Of course. Whatever you want or don't want to happen, I'll always be here for you."
Alex relaxed and smiled happily, "Thank you Olivia. I'll always be here for you too. You're the best friend I've ever had and I don't want to lose you."
"You won't. I promise. Enjoy your letter. See you tomorrow."
~~~~SVU~~~~
Amanda had arrived safely in the Airian Kingdom. She had to admit it was weird to be so near her old home and the home of Dean. It brought up some hard memories and thoughts. She thought of her family, remembered her family. She wondered, not for the first time what happened to Dean. He would've passed away many years ago but she wondered how. Despite what he'd done, despite breaking her heart and using her to infect her people, she hoped he had lived and died peacefully. She remembered him telling her that the city she had helped him to was the main one, Airia, and that he had travelled there from another city called Sundaria. She had a general idea of the layout of the land based on what he had told her plus what she remembered from living there. Her family's old village was long gone, nothing left but a few tiny ruins. She had made it undiscovered to Airia but judging by the semi-fresh smell, she had missed the current trade groups. One group went towards where she knew Sundaria was and another went towards another city she couldn't remember the name of. From the smell, she could tell both groups were about the same size. She decided to head the familiar way, towards Sundaria. She was a few days behind the group, but she knew they had to come back out soon. When she reached Sundaria, she hid, making herself a temporary nest in a tree with a clear view of the city gates.
~~~~~SVU~~~~~
Over the stay, Alex and Olivia met up several times. They didn't do anything sexual- just talked, Liv asking Alex more about her relationship with Casey but respecting their privacy by not asking about the letter. Olivia gave Alex her blessing and encouraged her to act on her feelings. She wasn't sure if she had convinced Alex to do so, but she hoped. Alex had written a response and given it to Liv who had safely tucked it into her vest. Finally, the day came when her and her men had to head back home. The previous day, she had made sure they all knew they were leaving so they would be rested, not hungover, and prepared for the journey. Now, it was early morning and her men were nearly ready to get going. Olivia had dressed and packed and was atop Coffee, waiting at the entrance for everyone to get there. "Olivia!" Olivia looked to see Alex waving at her as he came her way. Liv hopped off as she reached her.
"You didn't have to come see me off Alex."
"I wanted to. I just wanted to thank you for all you've done for me one last time. I know I said it before but it meant a lot to me. And what you're doing now means a lot to me. And to show you, I have something for you." Before Liv could protest, Alex held a necklace up to her. Liv's eyes widened. It was simple but beautiful. Its chain was gold and in the pendant was a yin and yang symbol only instead of its usual black and white, one side was ice blue with a black dot and the other was brown with a white dot. "I had it made special," Alex explained softly, "The colors match our eyes and I picked the symbol so you know that you are the yin to my yang. We are complete opposites and yet we fit together so well. Even though we've agreed to stop seeing each other that way, you are still the most special person to me. You're my best friend. You've shown me what real loving making feels like. You came into my life when I needed you most and you've given me courage to embrace what I feel for Casey. I told her in my letter for her how I feel about her and I can only hope she returns my feelings. I don't know what'll happen, but at least she'll know how I feel. I most likely would not have done that without you. So please just accept my gift because it's the only thing I can give you even though it's nowhere near the gifts you've given me."
Liv's eyes moved from the necklace to Alex's eyes and back again. She was not used to receiving gifts; she hated to accept things that she had not earned. But Alex was special to her. And she clearly just wanted to give thanks even though Liv didn't know what she was being thanked for. When Alex could see her inner battle, she gently took her hand and placed the necklace into her palm before closing her fingers around it. Liv looked at the necklace in her hand for another moment before looking at Alex. "Thank you Alex. It's beautiful." She quickly undid the clasp, draped it around her neck, and clipped it behind her. She had to admit, it looked stunning on her. Alex seemed to think so too for she smiled brilliantly as she eyed it.
Her eyes moved upwards and she said, "Travel safely Liv. I'll see you in a few weeks' time."
Liv hugged the blonde, "Be safe Alex. See you soon."
Then she quickly hopped back on her horse. She saw her men and the traders were ready so she called, "Everyone ready! Form your ranks! Open the gate!"
Alex walked a few steps away but turned to watch them leave. Liv sent her runner out and waved to her one last time before heading out. Unaware of the winged figure watching them. In the trees, Amanda watched excitedly as the group began to leave. She stayed unmoving as the leader soldier led the way. Amanda was struck by the woman's beauty. She looked over the men following her and the blonde woman waving behind them, but none of them held a candle to the lead soldier. She was absolutely stunning, and Amanda found herself feeling something, something that was both familiar and completely different than anything she'd felt before. When she realized that however, she shoved it away and focused on her mission. She would follow them, steal their drinks, and leave. That was it. But as her eyes followed the brunette soldier, she had the feeling it wouldn't be that simple.
~~~~SVU~~~~
It was their second morning out; they were a little more than a day away from home. Liv was anxious to give Alex's letter to Casey, to see what the Princess' actions would be. Her actions from before Liv left made things much clearer now. She must've known that Liv and Alex were close and had used her charming personality to get Liv to deliver the letter. Though she would have done so without all the flirting. That still confused her. Maybe that was just Casey's personality. Hearing what Alex had said about her and how they had interacted, that was plausible. Liv had decided that she would talk with the Princess. She had to make sure that Alex didn't get hurt, that Casey wouldn't hurt her. She just didn't know how she was going to do that; she didn't want to piss the Royal off and have her throw her in jail. She would have to put it delicately, respectfully, and Liv had no idea how. When she'd had that talk with Kathy, she hadn't been delicate or respectful. Sure, she had made sure Kathy wouldn't hate her afterwards, but she was stern enough so Kathy would know her place and not hurt Elliot or she would have to answer to Olivia. Kathy had been a little scared of her after that. And to be honest, Liv wasn't completely warm. But the longer she and El stayed together, the more Liv eased and the less afraid Kathy was. Liv just had to make sure Casey got the same idea about Alex. Somehow. She was pondering how that discussion would go when Olivia heard a shout.
"Sergeant! Sergeant! They're coming!" It was her runner.
She heard the screams of the dragons and knew she and her men would have only seconds before the attack. Quickly, she yelled over her back, "Dragons! Everyone to battle stations! Get the traders to safety!" All her men pulled their swords and the side ranked men started guiding the traders away and began to hide them under the tarp and the bile. Liv pulled out her sword as well just as the dragons came at them. She slashed at the nearest dragon with her weapon, feeling it slice through the dragon's soft underbelly. As the dragon cried in pain and fell to the ground, she jumped from Coffee's back on top of it. The dragon tried clawing and biting at her but she dodged it, using her sword to block the blows she couldn't easily move out of the way from. She pulled her knife and used it to tear the dragon's throat once, twice, and then she held it inside, cutting of its air. The creature's screams turned into gurgling, choking sounds and it seemed stunned by pain. She kicked at its wings and limbs, leaving its underside more open. Like lightning, she drove her sword through the skin over its heart and ripped it open. Through the long gash, she could see its beating heart. The dragon was now aware of its vulnerability and started clawing again. Liv felt the claws sink into her shoulder and side and slice open her back. She howled but recovered quickly before the dragon could buck her off. With a roar, she stabbed the heart with her sword. The dragon screamed again as Liv pulled the heart and sword out before it fell dead to the ground.
Liv didn't have time to revel in her victory before another dragon slammed into her. She was thrown against a tree and the breath was knocked out of her. She crumbled up in a heap on the ground as she tried to gasp in breath. She could hear the battle going on around her and wanted to get back out there; she had men to defend. She forced away the pain and got onto her hands and knees. She was shocked to see Coffee defending her, rearing up and kicking out until the dragon flew away. She turned back to her human and leaned down. "Thanks," Liv gasped as she gripped Coffee's bridle and let her pull her up. She pushed Coffee away, "Get out of her Coff." She didn't wait to see if her horse ran to safety. She saw one of her men in the clutches of a dragon nearby. He was screaming as it sunk its teeth into his shoulder and throat. "NO!" Liv yelled as she attacked. The dragon let her man go so it could better fight her. But Liv was feeling the loss of breath and blood and was a little slower wielding her weapon. The dragon pinned her down and reared back, roaring as if to claim his prey. She braced for the death bite, hoping that at least some of her men and the traders got away. But suddenly the dragon was forced away from her. She tried to watch but her vision was beginning to fade. Maybe Coffee had come to her aid again. She heard the struggles continuing and tried to get up. But her wounds were gushing and she was weakening. She collapsed. She groaned for Coffee, but was sure it wasn't understandable as she fell into darkness.