Hello!
Happy New Year, guys! I'm hoping that this fic can keep going for another year, and I hope you guys will stick with it. I'm definitely going to try and keep putting good chapters out for you, and maybe try some different things out. Special thanks to Cormag Ravenstaff for reviewing, Kingleomon13 for reviewing, and .7 for favouriting.
Onwards!
Chapter 28
Amiara relaxed, lying back on the blanket spread on the ground. Her blonde hair fanned out around her head, seeming almost black in the dark of the night.
Say'ri turned to her. "Are you comfortable, my love?"
The former tactician turned and gave her a grin.
"Of course. It's wonderful up here. But..." She looked puzzled. "Why are we up here?"
"To celebrate the New Year, of course." The dark-haired woman replied matter-of-factly.
"I know that. It's just..." Amiara sighed. "Why are we on a hill out here?" She gestured around them, to the silhouetted countryside on all sides, to the solitary hill Say'ri had brought them to.
"Wait and see." For the first time that the blonde could remember, her fiancee had an amused- even mischevious- look on her face.
Amiara moved closer to her, shifting up onto her knees.
"What's that look about?" She asked. When she saw the swordswoman looking innocent, she moved closer. "Is there some surprise that you're not telling me about?"
Say'ri smiled again. "As I said: wait and see."
Suddenly, a wailing sound in the distance made both women's heads snap round. A tiny point of light shot up from the village below them, a loud whistling from it echoing around the countryside. After a few moments of silence as the noise died away, there was a sharp burst of light in the air. The bang as it exploded seemed deafening, and tiny fragments of light spiralled away.
Amiara stared. "What... What on earth was that!?"
Say'ri laughed. "Fireworks. They're my surprise. Do... Do you like them?"
More shot up, causing a shower of stars in every colour to flare across the sky.
"I love them!" The blonde yelled, throwing her arms around her fiancee. "They're beautiful..."
"I'm glad you like them." Smiling, Say'ri returned the embrace. "We always have them at New Year."
Again, Amiara sighed happily. She was almost glad that the year was over. It had not been pleasant. Yet again, painful memories of what had happened after the battle with Grima surfaced.
Noticing her expression, her fiancee laced her fingers through the blonde's.
"Are you alright?" She whispered.
"Yeah. It's just... I'm happy that we're here." Amiara started to fiddle with a lock of her hair. "I feel like I can put the entire situation with Grima, and the Shepherds, behind me."
"A new year is always a good time for a fresh start, if that's what you mean." Say'ri smiled at the woman in her arms. "Grima... He's in the past now. Let's... Let's think about our future."
"Our future... I like the sound of that."
As another barrage of fireworks painted the sky with light, Amiara smiled. For the first time in a long time, she could forget about what had happened with Grima.
