AN: Very, very sorry about the long update times! But at long last my term paper is done and my exam finished so I could write again. Thanks to anyone who still cares enough to read it. Things get a little heated in this chapter so if you aren't old enough to read it or don't think you want to, then please don't. For those of you who have been wondering why Anna has no Crusis crystal and isn't in a human ranch…well all I can tell you is that those things will happen, they just haven't happened yet. In anycase, back to the story at hand!

Chapter 11

Anna woke up to the comforting smells of good food cooking over a campfire. Sitting up slowly she looked around and found herself alone. Kratos must be off somewhere in the forest she thought, but she wasn't worried. She knew Kratos would never leave her unprotected while there was danger around.

Slowly standing up she looked around her at the little camp Kratos had made for them. She had been so tired and full of emotion before that she had barely noticed her surroundings. It wasn't long until the food caught her attention again, and scooping out a bowlful, she sat down to eat. Anna rolled her eyes in pleasure; she had had no idea that Kratos was such a good cook.

With her belly now full, thoughts of Kratos suddenly made her feel shy. After the stormy scene a short while ago, she wasn't sure what to say to him when she saw him again. What did it mean? He hugged her, he comforted her, he told her he worried about her, but he had made no promises. Setting down her bowl with some mustered courage she thought, 'No, he didn't make me any promises and I won't ask him for any either. It's enough if things can just stay like this.' She spent the next few minutes trying to honestly feel that statement. The sound of footsteps caught her attention and looking up she saw Kratos enter the camp.

Kratos answered the questioning look on Anna's face, "I was just securing the perimeter. Have you rested well?" Anna nodded, "Yes, and the stew was delicious. Securing the perimeter? You don't really think this is a very dangerous area do you? I didn't think there were any human ranches around here." Kratos removed his cape and sat down, "There aren't, but it never fails to be careful."

With opening conversation finished, an awkward silence fell on them both. Anna watched as Kratos sat quietly looking at his hands. He seemed hesitant to meet her eyes. Finally looking up he said, "Anna, I am not the man that I appear to be. I am not just a simple mercenary." Anna received this information without surprise; she had suspected this for some time already. Kratos continued, "I would not lie to you, so please accept that there are things about me that you cannot know. One thing I can tell you is that I lead a complicated life and it is not a life that I can share with you. When I told you that I couldn't make you happy…I wasn't lying."

Anna felt the pain and sincerity in his voice and knew that he cared for her. With deliberate movements she moved closer to him and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his chest. Quietly she said, "You have made me happy. I know that you care for me, and I care for you as well. I don't want to talk about the future. Can't we just have right now?" Kratos had been stiff and unyielding, but slowly he relaxed and wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her hair. "Anna…you don't know who I really am." Anna relaxed her grip and looked up at Kratos, "I know enough."

Kratos looked down into her eyes and saw that she believed absolutely what she was saying. Brushing the hair from her forehead, he leaned forward to gently kiss her. She smiled and then rested her head on his chest again. Kratos leaned back against a tree, holding her against him, revealing in the heat of her body resting on his. Night was falling, and together they watched stars spring to life from beneath the canopy of the forest.

The night was getting cool but Anna was quite comfortable at the moment with Kratos keeping her warm. Stargazing with Kratos put her in mind of one of the last memories she had of her father. Softly she said, "Only a few days before my father was taken by the Desians, we were watching the stars just like this. He told me that stars were the windows to heaven and that sometimes they twinkled because angels were walking past." Kratos raised a hand to stroke Anna's hair. He loved the soft silkiness of it as it flowed through his fingers. Quietly he asked, "Was your Mother with you?" He felt Anna's smile when she said, "Yes we were still all together then. But then a few days later Father was taken. He just went off into the forest one day to hunt and never came back. Mother went to look for him, and she didn't come back either. Grandfather got together some people to look but when they came back the only thing they would tell me was that there had been Desians in the area." Kratos nodded his understanding, "How old were you?" he asked. Anna sighed, "Old enough to know they weren't coming back."

They sat quietly for some time before Anna asked, "How old were you when your Mother died?" Kratos remained silent for some time. His past was so far reaching and he had lived so secretly for so long that he hesitated to speak of himself. Finally he said, "I was 13 and my sister 7. It was an unexpected and violent death." Anna remained quiet for a while before asking, "And your father?" Kratos chuckled grimly, "He had left long before, looking for glory." He had been about to add, 'in war', but of course Anna would not understand that it was the Kharlan war that he spoke of. In any case she didn't question him about his father any further.

As the night deepened they held closely together, sometimes speaking and sharing harmless memories from their pasts, and sometimes just enjoying the presence and warmth of each other. A few hours before dawn Kratos felt Anna's body grow heavy with sleep within his arms and listened as her breathing become slow and drawn out. He held her closer to him and stayed that way until dawn. Some instinct told him to savor this time together. Though they had admitted their feelings for each other, they had resolved nothing, and the harsh reality of this world would return with the morning.

Anna woke a few hours later to the sounds of Kratos splitting kindling for the fire. She stood and stretched and then looked around for something to do. Kratos seeing her, smiled at her sleep tousled look and then started a fire. Breakfast was a short affair and before long they were packed up and heading for Detta.

As they walked Kratos pointed out the trails of small forest creatures and the occasional monster. Anna felt a new appreciation for Kratos as he taught her the intricacies of the forest. She found there was almost nothing he didn't know, but when she asked him where he had learned all of these many things, his only answer was silence. Whenever he refused to answer her, Anna knew she had touched on one of the many secrets that made up his life, which he couldn't or wouldn't speak about.

One late afternoon Kratos turned to her and said, "We're about a day's walk from Detta. Let's stop for now." Anna smiled gratefully up at him. There had been a lot of uphill climbing today and she was more than ready for a break. Before she could say so she noticed a shifting in the shadows behind Kratos. Kratos saw Anna's eyes open in shock and then whirled around just in time to meet three forest monsters. Pushing Anna behind him he stepped forward and drew his sword in one fluid movement.

Anna drew her dagger but stood back and watched as Kratos managed to attack and defend against three opponents. She knew better then to get in his way and sighed gratefully as he struck a killing blow into one leaving him only two to deal with. Suddenly Anna felt a clawing at her head and looked up and swatted at the crazed bat that was attacking her. She let out a gasp of pain as it ripped its claws down the back of her neck and shoulders. She saw Kratos turn to her but before he could reach her, she focused her aim and with accuracy she didn't know she had, skewered the bat, pinning it to a tree. It thrashed about wildly for a moment and then died.

With Anna in danger Kratos had made short work of the last two monsters and was at Anna's side in a moment. Anna bit her lip, feeling the stinging wounds on her back and shoulders and the warm stickiness that had to be her blood. Kratos immediately examined her wounds and found that while they must be painful, they were not life threatening. With a hand on her shoulder he said, "It's not too bad. I'll clean the wound and then heal it. The rips in your dress aren't too wide. I think you'll be able to mend it. Undo it for now while I see to your cuts."

Despite the pain from her ripped open shoulder and back, Anna felt very self conscious about exposing even a small amount of herself, but she knew Kratos was right. Her wounds must be tended. She was glad that the afternoon was fading into evening and hoped that Kratos wouldn't notice how red her face must be turning. Without a word she slowly unbuttoned her bodice and lowered it enough to expose most of her back.

Kratos was also quiet as he used some water to clean the cuts. When he was finished he put a hand over them and said, "First Aid". Anna's back felt warm and tingly and then in an instant she felt no more pain, but only Kratos' warm hand upon her bare back.

Kratos examined the smooth skin that returned after his spell. He assured himself quickly that she was healed, but did not take his hand away. Her skin was so smooth and soft and in the dull glow of the setting sun, its creamy whiteness seemed to let off a soft luminescence. Without thought he bent his head to kiss her creamy shoulders and Anna started in surprise. She hurriedly shifted her position so that she was facing him. His touch had felt so good and yet she felt nervous and unsure of what was happening now. She looked up into his face and saw the glow in his eyes that had been there the night he had taught her to dance. His hands came up to gently grasp her face and then his lips were upon hers. He kissed her slowly and sweetly and did not stop. With one hand clutching her dress closed, Anna used her other to brace herself against his chest, letting Kratos support her as his arms shifted down and wrapped around her. He held her pressed against him and deepened his kiss. Anna's inhibitions began to fade and she met Kratos' passion with her own. He kissed her ears, her neck, her shoulders, always returning to her lips again and again, deepening the kiss, demanding more until suddenly he broke off and stood up abruptly.

Kratos looked up into the sky without seeing it and used his considerable will to get control of his swirling emotions. He had forgotten himself completely and given in to the urges of his body and almost gone too far. He sank down to his knees in front of Anna again as she sat there, catching her breath. With one hand she still held her dress in place. Kratos reached out and pulled her dress back up over her shoulders. Still a little out of breath Anna whispered, "Thank you." Kratos nodded and quietly said, "I'm sorry. I went too far. I didn't mean for that to happen. I…" Kratos shook his head; he had no words to express the feelings that had come over him, his inability to control them, or his shock at their suddenness and strength.

Kratos sat on his knees with his head looking down and his hands clasped in fists upon his thighs. Anna reached out a hand and placed it on top of Kratos'. Her voice was warm and reassuring when she said, "These are things that have been happening between men and women for thousands of years. I feel it too. But you're right, we are acting inappropriately. We shouldn't be doing such things until we are-"Anna stopped herself suddenly. She had been about to say 'until we are married' but that implied a future, and by unspoken rule they did not speak of the future.

Kratos stood and then lowered a hand to help Anna to her feet. Brushing back some of her tousled hair he said, "I understand. For now on I will respect what I am sure would be your Grandfather's wishes." Anna smiled up at him, knowing what he said was right, but feeling disappointed nonetheless.

They set up camp and ate without awkwardness but quietly. When it was time to sleep, Anna noted how Kratos was careful to position his blankets in such a way that the remains of their campfire separated them. She smiled to herself at his extreme thoughtfulness while feeling exasperated at the same time. She wished him goodnight and then rolled over to be alone with her thoughts.

Tomorrow they would reach Detta and then after that he would escort her back to Iselia. She could really only count on them being together for another two weeks. After that, anything could happen. She knew what she wanted to happen. She wanted to be with Kratos and she knew he wanted it as well; it was his secret life that was keeping them apart. Anna tossed about, unable to get comfortable as she puzzled over the situation. Finally she feel asleep with the problem still unanswered.

Kratos listened to her toss and turn and then finally fall asleep and sighed to himself. He had a fairly good idea as to what had been troubling her, it was troubling him too. He stared into the fire feeling the crushing weight of the decision he must soon make crowding down upon him.

What kind of life could they really have together? He knew it would be next to impossible, but Kratos was not a man who had ever accepted that something was impossible. He hadn't accepted it 4000 years ago and he wouldn't accept it now. The real problem was the danger she would be in. Could he live knowing Anna was risking her life for him? Could he go on if her love for him should bring about her death?

The fire fell apart into glowing embers and Kratos continued to watch it, not seeing it at all.