Roar Fanfic
Childhood Memories
Part II
The feast was held, but more drinking was going on than eating. Kendallyn sat with Catlin and Sarah. All three girls sat, talked and laughed. After Marcus dragged off Sarah, to be alone, Catlin turned to Kendallyn with glimmering eyes.
"What was he like?"
"Who?"
"Conor, as a boy."
Kendallyn laughed and shook her head. "The same as he is now, actually." Her gaze turned, searching him out. A secret smile crossed her lips when she saw him. Then Molly came into view. Laughing, draping her arms around him - being a wife. Kendallyn shook her head and looked back to Catlin. She knew. Her gaze had followed Kendallyn's.
"I haven't seen him so happy. The Father knew what he was doing."
Kendallyn nodded and forced a smile. "Either have I." She lied.
When she dared to steal another look at her childhood love, she saw them embrace, kissing her softly. They seemed to have lost their crowd.
"Excuse me," Kendallyn stood before Catlin could say another word and disappeared out of the house-made cave.
She couldn't take it, as much as she tried, she just couldn't. She needed to think, to breathe fresh air. To be alone. She should've turned around when Fergus told her, but she tried to convince herself that it wouldn't bother her. She was wrong.
Before she knew it, she broke into a run, blindly directed. She didn't care where she ended up as long as she was alone. She still loved him…after all this time.
Conor smiled and loosely draped his arm around Molly's waist. For the last few hours, Conor's mind hadn't been on Molly or the Cause; it had been on Kendallyn. But he didn't dare tell anyone that. He kept up his act, laughing, smiling, and being a loving husband. He hadn't the time to sit and talk, to find out why she was back and where she had gone.
Molly became engrossed in a small conversation with Fergus and Conor left his thoughts run free. He looked over to where Catlin and Kendallyn were talking, but now Kendallyn was gone. Conor's eyes narrowed, Where was she?
"Excuse me," he whispered quietly, moving over to Catlin. "Catlin, where's Kendallyn?"
Catlin looked up at Conor, slightly surprised. "I don't know she just ran off."
Conor frowned and looked towards the forest. "What way?"
"Towards the lake, Conor-" But he was already gone from sight, just like Kendallyn had done. "It must be a family thing," she sighed and shook her head.
Kendallyn had managed to find her way to the lake. She stopped, taking a moment to recall everything that was beautiful. A soft smile caressed her lips and she exhaled a sigh, letting her shoulders roll backwards gently. It was beautiful, just as she remembered how it was all these years before she left. The water was crystal clear and sparkling; the wild flowers that grew at the bottom of the waterfall and the flowing white water that was old music to her ears like angels playing their harps in heaven. It was like a wedding dance. The thought made a sob escape her throat and her eyes closed. He was married, to someone that wasn't her. That was selfish of her, yes, but she couldn't help it.
Stripping herself of all her clothes, she let them fall into a messy pile by the patch of wild flowers and dove into the lake, where the falls hit the placid surface.
With a simple dive, her body pierced the surface and disappeared in ripples under the water.
Conor ran through the woods as fast as his legs would carry him. His lithe body pierced the trees and branches as he kept going. He knew where she was. His body, like hers, would carry them off to the same place - the lake with the waterfall. A place that both had labeled Nirvana in their youth.
He swallowed hard when he saw her swimming. Her shimmering ivory body sailing through the water. His mouth opened and a small, inaudible gasp escaped her lips. He was transfixed. He slouched down slowly, half hiding behind a bush. He watched as she climbed out of the late, her beautiful, naked body gleaming with water and moonlight. His baby blue eyes stayed on her. She had grown from a beautiful baby girl to a Goddess that walked the earth. He swallowed hard and shook his head, turning away as she got dressed.
He couldn't keep hiding, but he didn't know why he was here. Why did he run from the Sanctuary to see her? Slowly he stood, making his way down the path towards the small rock ledge that overlooked the lagoon.
"Kendallyn?" The soft, Irish voice rang out.
She was surprised, shocked, but didn't jump. Slowly, she finished fixing her skirt and turned around. Her body seemed to freeze as she stared at him.
"Conor," she breathed. "What-what are you doing here?"
"I was going to ask you the same question."
She licked her lips and shook her head. "I needed to get away-"
"Kendallyn-" He took a step closer to her as she turned around to look at him. Her wet hair fell in clumps around her face. She didn't push them away. "He didn't know what to say when she looked at him with those eyes. His mind lost all thoughts.
"I'm sorry for coming back, Conor. I didn't mean to complicate your life."
Conor snapped from his trance and stared at her. "You haven't.."
"No, I didn't want to make anything worse. I didn't know about Molly and.."
"Kendallyn," Conor reached out, taking her arm and stepping closer to her. "I've thought about you for the last ten years. Wondering what happened to you, if you were all right. I thought you were dead and when I saw you standing there…I didn't know what to think. Kendallyn, I love you. I always have."
It broke her down, tears fell from her eyes and she collapsed into a sitting position, pulling her legs closer to her chest and burying her face. Her body was trembling. She couldn't believe this was happening. She never thought she would hear those words come from his lips. She had always dreamed about it, but she never imagined it was going to be under these circumstances.
Conor frowned and sat down next to her, shaking his head. "Ken-"
"Don't," she managed to whisper without her voice breaking. "I want to remember those words because I've dreamed of you saying them to me everyday for the last seventeen years."
She felt his arms wrap around her shoulders, she felt his head lean against hers and the blonde hair trickle down her cheek. Her eyes closed tightly and she shook her head. "Conor…"
His eyes closed and he moved his head away, just slightly and turned his face and looked at her. His eyes, so blue and clear. Kendallyn stared back at him and finally a sigh escaped her lips.
"It's getting late, you should get back. Molly is probably waiting for you." She looked away, her eyes closed tightly and she tried to stop the tears from coming, but it didn't work. Two tears ran down her face and she brushed them away. "You need to go, Conor."
"Come with me. You should get some sleep."
"I'll walk back in a little while. I need some time to be alone."
"It's not safe, it's dark out."
"I can take care of myself," she finally looked back over to him. "I just, I need to be alone for a while."
"Come and get me when you get back. I won't be able to sleep unless I know you're back."
She nodded and looked down. "I promise." He kissed her forehead and stood up slowly, as he walked away he looked back to her but she didn't move. She just kept her legs close to her chest. He watched her head go down. His eyes closed and left. Even though he didn't want too. Even though he knew he shouldn't have.
She wasn't sure how much time elapsed before she decided to go back to the Sanctuary. She took one final look at the lake. She wouldn't see it again, she would leave. She'd have to leave. She couldn't stand to be here.
She picked up her skirt and started walking back to the Sanctuary. Her mind was racing with information. Conor told her that he loved her. Her eyes shut and she frowned. She loved him more than anything, but he was married and she wouldn't ruin that.
When she heard rustling in the woods, she stopped dead in her tracks. Her eyes scanned the surrounding area. She couldn't see anyone or anything, but her ears were deceiving.
"Who's there?"
But there was no answer. Kendallyn shook her head and walked back. She needed to divert her path, in case someone was following her, but she didn't know how to get back to the Sanctuary any other way. She wished she had taken Conor up on his offer.
Her arms wrapped around her waist and she shivered.
"A pretty lady like you shouldn't be out late at night walking around. There could be dangerous men about." A soldier dressed in Roman attire stepped out of the covering of the woods.
Kendallyn stopped and stared at him. "I can take care of myself."
He laughed and shook his head. "Kendallyn, you shouldn't have stayed."
She stared at him, opening her mouth to say something but her world went black.
