Disclaimer: Mercedes Lackey owns the song "The Shadow Lover" It's not mine. But the characters in this story are. No one sue me, all you'll get is the dust bunnies under my bed... and they're kinda nasty.
A.N. This is kinda dark. Oh, and feedback is a good!! (hint hint)
The Shadow Lover
By Lady Firebird
Lady Jania awoke with a start. The wilted flowers that she had been holding in her hand fell to the ground. Jaina looked around, and noticed that half of the afternoon had been wasted as she slept. Soon a servent would be sent to fetch her. But she did not want to return to the manor, her home.
A loud cough ripped through Jania's body, making her heart race, and her breath come short. Jania groaned. Her illness was one of the reasons that she didn't want to return to her home. A few weeks after she had married Lord Marak, she had fallen ill. Slowly she had regained her health, but she was never totaly well. Her illness prevented her from running her husbands household, so Marak had sent for his mother, a widow, who came and took Jainia's place in the household. And every time Jania tried to take back some of her duties, her mother-in-law, gave her a small pointless job to do... like gathering flowers in the feilds surrounding the manor. Jania felt like a bother in her own home. She felt like a failure, since she couldn't even accomplish the simple tasks that she was set.
Another reason that she didn't want to return was the whispering. The servents and guards that served in the manor all thought that she was going to die. So they all tip toed around her. Her husband had heard the whisperes, and decided to go on a holy quest. He didn't want to stay to watch his wife die. Befor he had left, she had found him in bed with one of the serving wenches. Marak explained that he didn't think that she would live long enought to bear him children, so he thought that he would try to sire some bastards. She shed a bitter tear, and then fell into a coughing fit. A servent came and led her to bed. The next day, her husband had a long talk with the village preist, and a week later he had left to fetch a peice of golden fruit, or some other nonsense.
Lady Jania was shaken out of her thoughts by the feeling of a cold hand on her shoulder, but when she turned, no one was there. She shrugged and went back to her thoughts.
For some reason, her mind wandered to a time in her youth when she and her favorite cousin were ice skating during the winter. While she was skating near the edge of the pond, the ice cracked, and she fell through into the freezing water. After her cousin had pulled her out of the water, she noticed a man standing a few yards away. He watched the two of them with a dark look on his face. Janina met his eyes and shivered a little. He smile at her and then backed away out of her line of sight.
A cold wind blew Jania out of the past, and she looked up to meet the same eyes that had made her shiver so long ago. He smiled, his demeanor warming. He reached down a hand and helped her to her feet. She stood, dead flowers falling all around her.He opened his armsand she fell into his embrace. As his arms closed around her, she realized who he was. He was her lover, her friend, and her true husband. She tilted her face up and accepted his kiss. Whoever called this man cold was misinformed. It was her old life that was cold. Her husband, his mother, the manor, they all disapeared in a gust of cold wind. She was now loved and cherished by a wonderful man that would take care of her for eternity. Their lips parted, and a smile was shared. The man offered Jania his arm, and she took it. He led her into her new life. Jania smiled in contenment. She had found her place. He place was by the side of the shadow lover.
****
Shadow-lover, never seen by day,
Only deep in dreams do you appear.
Wisdom tells me I should turn away,
Love of mist and shadows, all unclear-
Nothing can I hold of you but thought
Shadow-lover, mist and twilight wrought
Shadow-lover, comfort me in pain.
Love, although I never see your face,
All who'd have me fear you speak in vain-
Never would I shrink from your embrace
Shadow-lover, gentle is your hand
Never could another understood.
Shadow-lover, soothe me when I mourn
Mourn for all who left me here alone,
When my grief is too much to be borne,
When my burdens crushing-great have grown,
Shadow-lover, I cannot forget-
Help me bear the burdens I have yet.
Shadow-lover, you alone can know
How I long to reach a point of peace
How I fade with weariness and woe
How I long for you to bring release.
Shadow-lover, court me in my dreams
Bring the peace that suffering redeems.
Shadow-lover, from the Shadows made,
Lead me into Shadows once again.
Where you lead I cannot be afraid,
For with you I shall come home again-
In your arms I shall not fear the night
Shadow-lover, lead me into light.
A.N. This is kinda dark. Oh, and feedback is a good!! (hint hint)
The Shadow Lover
By Lady Firebird
Lady Jania awoke with a start. The wilted flowers that she had been holding in her hand fell to the ground. Jaina looked around, and noticed that half of the afternoon had been wasted as she slept. Soon a servent would be sent to fetch her. But she did not want to return to the manor, her home.
A loud cough ripped through Jania's body, making her heart race, and her breath come short. Jania groaned. Her illness was one of the reasons that she didn't want to return to her home. A few weeks after she had married Lord Marak, she had fallen ill. Slowly she had regained her health, but she was never totaly well. Her illness prevented her from running her husbands household, so Marak had sent for his mother, a widow, who came and took Jainia's place in the household. And every time Jania tried to take back some of her duties, her mother-in-law, gave her a small pointless job to do... like gathering flowers in the feilds surrounding the manor. Jania felt like a bother in her own home. She felt like a failure, since she couldn't even accomplish the simple tasks that she was set.
Another reason that she didn't want to return was the whispering. The servents and guards that served in the manor all thought that she was going to die. So they all tip toed around her. Her husband had heard the whisperes, and decided to go on a holy quest. He didn't want to stay to watch his wife die. Befor he had left, she had found him in bed with one of the serving wenches. Marak explained that he didn't think that she would live long enought to bear him children, so he thought that he would try to sire some bastards. She shed a bitter tear, and then fell into a coughing fit. A servent came and led her to bed. The next day, her husband had a long talk with the village preist, and a week later he had left to fetch a peice of golden fruit, or some other nonsense.
Lady Jania was shaken out of her thoughts by the feeling of a cold hand on her shoulder, but when she turned, no one was there. She shrugged and went back to her thoughts.
For some reason, her mind wandered to a time in her youth when she and her favorite cousin were ice skating during the winter. While she was skating near the edge of the pond, the ice cracked, and she fell through into the freezing water. After her cousin had pulled her out of the water, she noticed a man standing a few yards away. He watched the two of them with a dark look on his face. Janina met his eyes and shivered a little. He smile at her and then backed away out of her line of sight.
A cold wind blew Jania out of the past, and she looked up to meet the same eyes that had made her shiver so long ago. He smiled, his demeanor warming. He reached down a hand and helped her to her feet. She stood, dead flowers falling all around her.He opened his armsand she fell into his embrace. As his arms closed around her, she realized who he was. He was her lover, her friend, and her true husband. She tilted her face up and accepted his kiss. Whoever called this man cold was misinformed. It was her old life that was cold. Her husband, his mother, the manor, they all disapeared in a gust of cold wind. She was now loved and cherished by a wonderful man that would take care of her for eternity. Their lips parted, and a smile was shared. The man offered Jania his arm, and she took it. He led her into her new life. Jania smiled in contenment. She had found her place. He place was by the side of the shadow lover.
****
Shadow-lover, never seen by day,
Only deep in dreams do you appear.
Wisdom tells me I should turn away,
Love of mist and shadows, all unclear-
Nothing can I hold of you but thought
Shadow-lover, mist and twilight wrought
Shadow-lover, comfort me in pain.
Love, although I never see your face,
All who'd have me fear you speak in vain-
Never would I shrink from your embrace
Shadow-lover, gentle is your hand
Never could another understood.
Shadow-lover, soothe me when I mourn
Mourn for all who left me here alone,
When my grief is too much to be borne,
When my burdens crushing-great have grown,
Shadow-lover, I cannot forget-
Help me bear the burdens I have yet.
Shadow-lover, you alone can know
How I long to reach a point of peace
How I fade with weariness and woe
How I long for you to bring release.
Shadow-lover, court me in my dreams
Bring the peace that suffering redeems.
Shadow-lover, from the Shadows made,
Lead me into Shadows once again.
Where you lead I cannot be afraid,
For with you I shall come home again-
In your arms I shall not fear the night
Shadow-lover, lead me into light.