Disclaimer: I don't own zoids just my own characters.
Dragonflame by Shelly
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Tania had trudged behind them for hours before Raven finally called a stop long enough for them to grab a drink of water to refresh themselves. He had said nothing to her the whole time they had walked, had merely stolen glances at her from time to time, his eyes and expression unreadable. She wondered what he intended to do with her, but she was mostly worried about Silver, who had had a collar fastened about his neck and now walked meekly beside her, his head hanging towards the ground. He had seemed to have such an indomitable spirit, a spirit that she had never wanted to see subdued like this and all because of her.
A water container was thrust in front of her, and she looked up to see Raven himself offering it to her. Her hands had been bound in front of her, and she reached up to take the bottle and drank a small amount from it before handing it back to him, surprised to see him smile. It was a smile that was unusual to see on his face as it held nothing of the arrogance he had often displayed before, but instead held a satisfaction that had her wondering what he was up to.
"What is all this, Raven?" she asked, hoping to get an answer from him. "Where are you taking me?"
A small laugh escaped, and he surprisingly touched his finger to her face to trace it down the side of her neck and shoulder. "You will find out soon enough, Tania. Have a little patience. It's not far now." Then he turned and walked away, leaving her even more confused than before.
She may not know that much about Raven, but she definitely knew that this was not him. Instead he had become a different person almost, a fact that was reinforced by the memory of the dream she had had about him. And she couldn't help but remember the small spark of attraction that had lie beneath the wash of fear that had claimed her, an attraction that had been reawakened by the touch of his finger.
She shook her head. That was crazy! What was she thinking? She was in love with Karl, was to be married to him for the rest of her life, and she closed her eyes to bring forth his image in her mind. She thought of the light of happiness in his eyes whenever he looked at her, the smoldering fires of desire that suffused their green depths whenever they made sweet love to one another. This helped to chase away the feelings of doubt that had surfaced within her, and she was once again in control of herself just in time to continue on their journey.
The sun was sinking towards the horizon when they finally reached what appeared to be a small village that consisted of a circle of houses that surrounded a larger house. Torches lined a walkway that led up to the village, the entrance to the house guarded by two of the same dark figures that had accompanied them here. Raven dismissed the rest of their party and bid Shadow to guard Silver before escorting her inside.
She stopped and looked around as soon they stepped inside, staring at her surroundings with a mixture of awe and fear. Awe at the beauty of her surroundings and fear that it looked exactly the same as her dreams had shown her. It was essentially one large room, but flowing curtains separated it into several rooms, curtains that were made of a sheer material, the color hard to determine in the fading light of the sun. A single torch hung on each wall, casting her surroundings in a soft glow.
Her perusal ended when he appeared in front of her, taking her hands and cutting the bonds off with a single swipe of his dagger which he threw down onto the floor. He gently gathered her hand in one of his while the other touched her cheek softly, causing a surge of fear to rise within her. "Raven, what are you doing?" she asked, willing the traitorous thrill caused by his touch not to engulf her.
He smiled. "Only what is right, Tania, since you have come back to me. I have waited for you for so long."
She swallowed deeply and licked her dry lips. "What are you talking about?"
Another smile. "I go too fast," he said, releasing her hand and walking over to the bed that rested in the far corner of the room. "Come and sit, and I will explain everything."
Her mind cried out for her to run away and leave while she still could. But her body wouldn't obey as her surroundings became more familiar to her. The sound of the wind playing through the tops of the trees reached her ears, and she immediately felt at home here. She walked over to him and lowered herself down beside him, not caring when he held her hand again. "What is happening to me?" she whispered.
Her question strangely brought forth a laugh from him. "I asked myself that very same question as soon as I came here. Did you have a dream, Tania? A dream where we were together?"
She nodded her head. "Yes. But what does that have to do with us?"
His fingers brushed lightly across the back of her hand, tickling it, but it felt wonderful to her. "We are meant to be together, here in this place. The dream was of a life we shared a long time ago, a life where we were happy together as rulers of a great city."
She looked into his eyes. "And you believe this?"
He nodded. "I do."
"The Raven I knew would never put so much belief into his dreams," she said. "He lived only to fight and destroy those who would stand against them."
"He still is a part of me, but you are what's most important to me right now. It's like we've never been separated all these years."
She looked away at the light of the setting sun, closing her eyes as memories came rushing back to her. Memories of when she was happy with Raven when they were young and newly married and had loved each other with all their hearts. But then something happened that changed him, had made him remote and insensitive to her needs. And she watched with tears in her eyes as he rode off to battle, over what she did not know.
His hand on her cheek drew her away from her memories, and she was surprised to feel a dampness on her cheeks that wasn't there before. "I didn't mean that much to you before when you left me," she whispered.
He smiled, pleased that she had remembered something of their former life. "I was rash and thought only of my feelings, my beloved. But I intend to change all that this time around, now that we have been given another chance."
She looked deep into his eyes, and wondered at the tears that fell from her eyes as a love she never knew she possessed filled her soul. "Another chance," she murmured.
"Yes," he whispered, moving his hand around to cup the back of her neck and draw her closer to him.
She laid her hand on his chest, feeling his heart beating strongly beneath her fingers as she surrendered to the memories of a past life that had taken control of her. No longer were they Tania and Raven, but two souls that had been reunited after centuries of being separated from one another. Sighing with longing, she waited to feel the soft pressure of his lips upon hers.
*******************
Whoa! What's happening here? I told you he was OOC! Don't worry, everything will be explained soon! (Dodges various objects being thrown her way, eventually sticking her tongue out and getting slammed in the face. Falling to the floor, the authoress sees little Ravens dancing in front of her.) Thanks for reading and please review!
Dragonflame by Shelly
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Tania had trudged behind them for hours before Raven finally called a stop long enough for them to grab a drink of water to refresh themselves. He had said nothing to her the whole time they had walked, had merely stolen glances at her from time to time, his eyes and expression unreadable. She wondered what he intended to do with her, but she was mostly worried about Silver, who had had a collar fastened about his neck and now walked meekly beside her, his head hanging towards the ground. He had seemed to have such an indomitable spirit, a spirit that she had never wanted to see subdued like this and all because of her.
A water container was thrust in front of her, and she looked up to see Raven himself offering it to her. Her hands had been bound in front of her, and she reached up to take the bottle and drank a small amount from it before handing it back to him, surprised to see him smile. It was a smile that was unusual to see on his face as it held nothing of the arrogance he had often displayed before, but instead held a satisfaction that had her wondering what he was up to.
"What is all this, Raven?" she asked, hoping to get an answer from him. "Where are you taking me?"
A small laugh escaped, and he surprisingly touched his finger to her face to trace it down the side of her neck and shoulder. "You will find out soon enough, Tania. Have a little patience. It's not far now." Then he turned and walked away, leaving her even more confused than before.
She may not know that much about Raven, but she definitely knew that this was not him. Instead he had become a different person almost, a fact that was reinforced by the memory of the dream she had had about him. And she couldn't help but remember the small spark of attraction that had lie beneath the wash of fear that had claimed her, an attraction that had been reawakened by the touch of his finger.
She shook her head. That was crazy! What was she thinking? She was in love with Karl, was to be married to him for the rest of her life, and she closed her eyes to bring forth his image in her mind. She thought of the light of happiness in his eyes whenever he looked at her, the smoldering fires of desire that suffused their green depths whenever they made sweet love to one another. This helped to chase away the feelings of doubt that had surfaced within her, and she was once again in control of herself just in time to continue on their journey.
The sun was sinking towards the horizon when they finally reached what appeared to be a small village that consisted of a circle of houses that surrounded a larger house. Torches lined a walkway that led up to the village, the entrance to the house guarded by two of the same dark figures that had accompanied them here. Raven dismissed the rest of their party and bid Shadow to guard Silver before escorting her inside.
She stopped and looked around as soon they stepped inside, staring at her surroundings with a mixture of awe and fear. Awe at the beauty of her surroundings and fear that it looked exactly the same as her dreams had shown her. It was essentially one large room, but flowing curtains separated it into several rooms, curtains that were made of a sheer material, the color hard to determine in the fading light of the sun. A single torch hung on each wall, casting her surroundings in a soft glow.
Her perusal ended when he appeared in front of her, taking her hands and cutting the bonds off with a single swipe of his dagger which he threw down onto the floor. He gently gathered her hand in one of his while the other touched her cheek softly, causing a surge of fear to rise within her. "Raven, what are you doing?" she asked, willing the traitorous thrill caused by his touch not to engulf her.
He smiled. "Only what is right, Tania, since you have come back to me. I have waited for you for so long."
She swallowed deeply and licked her dry lips. "What are you talking about?"
Another smile. "I go too fast," he said, releasing her hand and walking over to the bed that rested in the far corner of the room. "Come and sit, and I will explain everything."
Her mind cried out for her to run away and leave while she still could. But her body wouldn't obey as her surroundings became more familiar to her. The sound of the wind playing through the tops of the trees reached her ears, and she immediately felt at home here. She walked over to him and lowered herself down beside him, not caring when he held her hand again. "What is happening to me?" she whispered.
Her question strangely brought forth a laugh from him. "I asked myself that very same question as soon as I came here. Did you have a dream, Tania? A dream where we were together?"
She nodded her head. "Yes. But what does that have to do with us?"
His fingers brushed lightly across the back of her hand, tickling it, but it felt wonderful to her. "We are meant to be together, here in this place. The dream was of a life we shared a long time ago, a life where we were happy together as rulers of a great city."
She looked into his eyes. "And you believe this?"
He nodded. "I do."
"The Raven I knew would never put so much belief into his dreams," she said. "He lived only to fight and destroy those who would stand against them."
"He still is a part of me, but you are what's most important to me right now. It's like we've never been separated all these years."
She looked away at the light of the setting sun, closing her eyes as memories came rushing back to her. Memories of when she was happy with Raven when they were young and newly married and had loved each other with all their hearts. But then something happened that changed him, had made him remote and insensitive to her needs. And she watched with tears in her eyes as he rode off to battle, over what she did not know.
His hand on her cheek drew her away from her memories, and she was surprised to feel a dampness on her cheeks that wasn't there before. "I didn't mean that much to you before when you left me," she whispered.
He smiled, pleased that she had remembered something of their former life. "I was rash and thought only of my feelings, my beloved. But I intend to change all that this time around, now that we have been given another chance."
She looked deep into his eyes, and wondered at the tears that fell from her eyes as a love she never knew she possessed filled her soul. "Another chance," she murmured.
"Yes," he whispered, moving his hand around to cup the back of her neck and draw her closer to him.
She laid her hand on his chest, feeling his heart beating strongly beneath her fingers as she surrendered to the memories of a past life that had taken control of her. No longer were they Tania and Raven, but two souls that had been reunited after centuries of being separated from one another. Sighing with longing, she waited to feel the soft pressure of his lips upon hers.
*******************
Whoa! What's happening here? I told you he was OOC! Don't worry, everything will be explained soon! (Dodges various objects being thrown her way, eventually sticking her tongue out and getting slammed in the face. Falling to the floor, the authoress sees little Ravens dancing in front of her.) Thanks for reading and please review!