Some hopefully juicy stuff in here for you guys to think over. Back to our witches and our mysterious man in the woods. (Revised)

The kiss was sweet, charged full of emotion and incredibly sensuous, it made the rest of her body tingle, she felt as if she were being surrounded by an electrically charged cloud and her legs like they might collapse under her were the beautiful stranger not supporting her weight almost entirely in his strong arms. Aline had in her power as a witch a sensitivity to all living things and so the experience of her first kiss was so much more profound, she noticed that Cahuilla smelt like the forest, like the soft earth under their feet, that his mouth tasted like honey and that his skin was thick and yet soft to the touch. Aline if she could think at all would remark to herself that there was no man more appropriate for her to share this moment with, regardless of the indescribable strong pull towards him she had, he was still the most attractive man she had ever seen and she could sense his connection to nature. Maybe her sister had been right about enjoying "the finer things".

Aline's eyes opened and she reeled back as if a bucket of ice cold water had hit her. What was she doing? What was she thinking by kissing this man she barely knew? No matter what the attraction, she was not like her sister, she believed in etiquette and formalities. Color rose in her cheeks and her hand flew to her breast, she took several steps back and tried to regain her composure.

"E-excuse me, I beg your pardon, I don't know what came over me." Her breathing fluttered. She swallowed and realized the stranger was confused, as if he couldn't understand why she would have ruined the bliss they had been in but then slowly as if light was dawning in his mind his eyes widened and his mouth opened and then shut just as quickly, his arms which had still been outstretched fell to his sides and he gazed at her in a new way.

"What are you?" he questioned "How do you control me in this way?" he stepped forward "What land did you come from?"

Aline saw that he had become suddenly very serious.

"Calm yourself warrior. Please, won't you join me in my home?" She motioned by lifting her hand in the direction of the cottage. "I'm certain than any questions you may have will be answered, I promise."

The young warrior however stood his ground and crossed his arms his lids slitting in a displeased manner.

"I would not be honoring my people if I simply surrendered myself into the hands of someone who could be my enemy. You are a foreigner in this land and the forest is my home so there is no need for us to move since you are the guest in my homeland." He corrected and then sat with his legs crossed on the floor in a smooth motion.

Aline understood his point of view and therefore followed his example by sitting with her legs tucked under her.

"My questions." He reminded her once she had sat.

"My name is Aline, my sister and I have recently moved here to seek a new beginning. We come from across the seas, from a land you will not be familiar with." Aline smiled, she was extremely curious to find out about him and get to know his ways and therefore she sincerely wished from the bottom of her heart that she could befriend this man.

'This very, very, provocatively handsome man.' She couldn't stop herself from thinking.

"You bewitched me." He stated seeming suspicious of her every word. "You could not understand me at first but now you are able to speak in my words."

He was obviously quite rational.

"I swear by my dignity I did not enchant you Cahuilla but you are correct in assuming I possess gifts. I have no reason to hide the truth from you but you must understand this is a secret. Some would harms us if they had this knowledge." She scolded herself. "In truth I was so happy to meet a dweller of this land such as yourself, I completely lost my senses and could have possibly exposed us to danger."

"Your sister also possesses gifts?" he asked paying close attention to her body language.

"Yes." She admitted uncomfortably wanting to move away from the subject of her sister as soon as possible.

The Indian nodded slightly more relaxed but still weary.

"We have someone gifted in our village but I feel that your power is beyond that of his."

Aline was stunned, she hadn't thought of the possibility that there were witches here and even more to hear that it was a man. The gift of magic only ran in the females in her family and so it had been with all other recorded witch families and as far as she knew the line was running thin recently making her and her sister the only practicing females in the whole of Northern and Eastern Europe as far as they knew. Aline now had even more questions.

"When did you arrive here?" he questioned.

"Very recently, it hasn't been 5 days since we first got here but-."

"Are there others with you?"

She became worried, this man was troubled, she could see upon him now a great burden which she had not perceived before.

"Cahuilla" she began "What is weighing upon your heart?"

The warrior took in a deep breath and then with an ominous tone began.

"I have traveled far from my native birth land to be here, for many moons have I headed south in search of evidence of the things we have heard so many stories about. The whispers in the wind of great destruction which is threatening to bring and end to everything we know and love, our sacred forest and the peoples which live in her. I told you my name is Cahuilla and so I am for it means leader and I am the son of the chief of our people, destined to take over when the great spirits decide my father's time has ended. I have come on a quest given by the gifted one in our tribe from the spirits. I was told I needed to be here in order to secure the safety of my people and in order that I might attain strength enough to protect them and that my strength may be passed onto my children. Secondly I need to see for myself the threat so that we might understand it and know the best way to fight it."

Aline listened in awe immediately sympathetic of his plight and curious to know more.

"What is this threat?"

Cahuilla looked at her oddly like he was assessing her.

"They say white demons come from the land of the rising sun and that they will come with hatred and greed in their hearts and bring destruction upon the people."

Aline's breath caught in her throat. No wonder he was so weary of her. How could she have been so foolish? Of course they were the threat. She nodded.

"It is true."

She couldn't deny it, her and her sister had come looking for a new life, along with all the other English not to mention the Portuguese and Spanish and French and she had heard horrid tales of what was currently happening. Conquest, genocide, rape. They had followed the diabolical human heart to this place.

Cahuilla's face fell at her confirmation.

"We came seeking an escape from all the evil things of humanity, unfortunately they have already started occurring here for long before we arrived. They wish to destroy your land the same way they have destroyed theirs, and destroy your people as they have destroyed each other. I am sorry."

The warriors face was filled with such emotion Aline found it difficult to identify what it was.

"I know you may not trust me but please, I beg of you, come inside with me, if you have traveled as far as you say you must be needing rest and food. There is much to discuss and I wish to help you."

Cahuilla's sorrowful eyes pierced her then. He truly was a leader for she could see how he took this new information in with such a heavy heart for the sake of his tribe and homeland. This would not be easy.

"I promise you no harm shall come to you warrior." Aline stood then quickly brushing her skirt to find he had risen also, she stepped forward. "Look into my eyes and understand that I would never wish you any harm." He did.

Aline was helpless as she felt the return of some of the dizziness and heat when she looked into his eyes. He was a stranger and yet when she focused on him like this she knew him, her heart told her so, like they were linked, connected, destined. She was suffocated by the desire to once again be held in his arms but she fought it chastising the mere thought of such an impropriety. However whatever the warrior had been looking for in her gaze he had found because after some time he declared.

"I will follow you."

You know what I'm gonna say, review please guys! It gives me inspiration and makes me feel like doing this is worthwhile.