~*II:Disclaimer:II*~
Well, it's the fourth chapter! I never thought it would get this far. I really
didn't. Bermuda was originally only supposed to be a one-chapter short story. It
was not supposed to go past Tarma, Keth, Warrl, Van, Stef, and 'Fandes. But, it
did. And the chapter after this is going to be the last one. I hope no one is
too upset. If I can get so theories about Bermuda, however, there may be a
sequel. But that's a big maybe. I can't see how to fit it in. If you have any
ideas, however, let me know. I'd love to see what everyone else thinks, and
think that a story compiled by other writers would be very interesting. So,
e-mail me and let me know, 'kay? Well, let's get the disclaimer part over with.
I don't own any of this. I think that's enough said, ne? Oh! Just wait until the
last chap! This one is just for you, Sha. With the stupid gryphon himself!
@~}{~@@~}{~@@~}{~@}{~@ ßMaiden's Hope!
Chapter Four: A Promise Kept
He dropped the garland of Maiden's Hope on the bed and smiled knowingly to
himself as he remembered that beautiful Midsummer morning. The delicate blossoms
sat gingerly on the red coverlet and his smiled turned to a grin.
"No doubt about it, hmm, Chosen," Tantris asked, leaning against the window
frame. His brown, nondescript hair danced slightly on the cool Autumn breeze and
his sapphire eyes gazed out the window, giving the on looker a sight of a
masculine, chiseled profile. Kris crossed his arms over his chest and smirked,
his own long, raven tresses playing with the breeze.
An odd sensation, considering he was dead.
"None at all," he replied leaning against the wall and crossing his legs over
one another as well. "I know how much Dirk wanted kids," he laughed softly, so
as not to alert Elspeth sitting just outside the door. "And knowing Talia,
she'll want them just as much."
:What brings you two from the Heavens,: a deep voice "asked."
Tantris smiled and waved out the window, and Kris stalked over to learn the
owner of the voice. :Hullo, Rolan!: The late Companion's Mindvoice was light and
cheerful. The Grove born Companion whickered his reply.
Kris waved out the window as well. :We're fulfilling an old promise,: the former
field Herald told him.
:You mean the flowers, don't you?:
Kris grinned down at the forlorn look in the "horse's" body language. :That
would be correct my near demi-god.:
:But I want to giver her the flowers!:
Kris smiled at the Companion again. :I'm the one that promised her; I should be
the one to deliver them, so there!:
There was an impression of the Queen's Own Companion sticking his tongue out at
the two Heaven Hoppers. :You two had better get going, then,: he said evenly,
with a hint of indigence that the two had laughed at him. :The two newly weds
are on their way up to their room, and I have no doubt about what they'll be up
to either--:
:Nor have I any doubt about what you'll be doing, nearly immortal one. What,
with that bond of yours…: came an feminine voice. :Run along you two: With that,
the two Companion's rode away.
Kris smiled again. "Come along, brother-mine. We have friends who wish a word or
two with us on that lovely little island."
Tantris bowed mockingly. "Oh, of course, Noble and Vain Herald."
Kris laughed. "And handsome. Don't forget handsome!"
There was a rolling of sapphire eyes. "However could I have forgotten, that?"
To the on looker, the pair of friends walked to the door, and seemed to fade to
nothing just as the door opened for a happy wedded couple who seemed the could
be happier until they saw the little surprise waiting for them. The gift left no
doubt in their minds that they were loved and watched by _all_ their friends.
@~}{~@
"Took you two long enough to get back," Ylsa snarled good-naturedly out the
door. Valdemar smiled at the woman's back. "What did you do, fall passionately
for one another?"
Kris and Tantris' laughing came to the ears of those in the little bungalow, and
a few moments later, their faces appeared, Kris' holding his laughter; Tantris'
smirking. "Ylsa," the Companion intoned paternally, his blue eyes dancing with
mischief, "Just because, you, your lifebonded, and your Companion can't keep
your hands off each other does not mean that the rest of is can't act reasonably
around out counterparts!"
Ylsa laughed and gestured for the pair to sit and talk in the little room with
the rest of the group. Lashan and Valdemar sat next to each other, looking at
the trio, one in complete confusion, the other trying to suppress his laughter.
"I'm afraid you've utterly confused me again," the mare-like woman said.
Valdemar laced his fingers with hers and patted her hand. "We've always confused
you, love," he told her. "But then, you were a _sword_ for nearly all of your
existence, so that _could_ be easily done…"
That comment earned the former king a rough punch in the arm…not that he could
feel it, being in Heaven and all, but the sensation was there, however detached,
so he knew she'd hit him hard in hopes that it might actually hurt this time.
But you just didn't feel pain here.
Valdemar smiled at his lover. There weren't lifebonded, but as far as he could
tell, that hardly meant anything. She complimented him well, and he didn't want
to find out whom his lifebond was if it meant losing Lashan, his Need.
"When we're all in human form, all three of us are lovers. We're a strange
bunch, but we love each other dearly," Ylsa explained. "Usually, two of us are
lovers, and the third is a Companion, but we all seemed to want to be human this
time, and all three of us Heralds."
"You lot like to complicate things beyond rational thought," Lashan stated,
absently rubbing her thumb across Valdemar's hand. "That's why I refuse to be
reborn."
Ylsa bark a sharp laugh. "Well, you were alive long enough to get it right the
first time, don't you think?"
Lashan snorted. "If you call being a blind, deaf, mute Mage-Smith existing as a
hunk of steel living, sure. I lived long enough to get it right the first time."
All the occupants of the room laughed at that.
"What about you, Valdemar," Kris asked. "You want to be reborn?"
Valdemar laughed, "And leave this one behind to torture everyone except me?"
Lashan blushed slightly. "No, I like her too much," he replied, looking at her
appreciatively. Lashan wasn't pretty in the ageless,
make-any-man-fall-in-love-with-her sense. No, she had the beauty of the
well-tempered blade she once was. She was strong and loving, and she wouldn't
take horse turds from anyone. She was the loveliest creature he'd ever laid eyes
on, though she resembled his Companion. Of course, he'd never tell _her_ that!
"Besides, if I weren't here, who would jeep her occupied with something other
than terrorizing people?"
"Feh," Tantris snorted, his eyes smiling knowingly. "You're a sick masochist!
That the gods you didn't know her where you were alive," he told him tensely.
"You'd have been a demented king, indeed! I don't think you'd have been Chosen!"
Valdemar took a piece of fruit from the bowl next to his arm and threw the apple
at the ill-begotten Companion's head.
"You see that," he asked his former Herald as he ducked. "He's sadistic too!"
"Only to you," Kris replied as if commenting on the weather. "But then, everyone
gets so annoyed with you that you should feel complimented with being pelted
with only _one_ fruit!"
Tantris jabbed Kris with his elbow. "You're one to talk, 'Insensitive Peacock,"
he retorted indignantly. "For some reason I seem to recall something about being
damned to hell. I think that gilded carriages and purple cushions were part of
it too…"
"So was Dirk," Kris defended, crossing his arms. "It was his fault for snapping
at her!"
"You were the one who was positive that just because she was female and sharing
you bed that she's fallen madly in love with you," Tantris said laughing. "Now,
had Jerri been your trainee…"
"Oh, shut up, _horse_!"
Tantris laughed again. "Why, is our noble little peacock embarrassed," he asked
in delighted malice. "How unlike him this is! Perhaps we should capture this
moment forever in writing. Quickly, someone get a scribe!"
Kris mutter something inaudible as he turned his head away to hide his flush,
but Valdemar though it was something to the affect of "I'll 'capture the moment
forever,' you…"
Lashan spoke up. "Would you be reborn, 'Noble little Peacock," she asked,
perversely deriving pleasure from the young man's annoyance. 'And he called me
the sadist!' Valdemar thought, brushing a raven lock back and his grin forcing
his almond shaped black eyes to squint just slightly.
"To get away from the tormenting I get here, yes. In fact, I think I will, thank
you." Kris tightened his arms about his chest and looked farther away, closing
his eyes, looking miffed.
Ylsa chuckled. "Aw, poor, abused baby," she teased. "You won't go alone. I want
to see if I can catch up to my girls before they catch up to me."
Kris snorted. "Oh, comforting. Another 'teacher' telling me I'm too vain for my
own good." But Kris seemed to perk up at the idea of Ylsa going with him.
Lashan rubbed her eyes as the sun began to set over the water. "Well, I'm for
bed." She stood and walked to the door, "You coming, Val, or are you going to
socialize some more?"
"And leave my lady unescorted?! Not a chance!"
Lashan snorted as he followed her out. "Flatterer," she voiced as he watched the
sun set.
"Always," Valdemar said as-a-matter-of-factly. "But, you're worth it."
She smiled slightly at him. She's told him he was he first lover, and her was
grateful for it, and hardly would likely risk losing her. She was his
compliment, his Need. He wanted nothing more. As they walked back, hand in hand,
to their own little bungalow, he sang to himself, and into her mind, :That's
where we wanna go…:
Well, it's the fourth chapter! I never thought it would get this far. I really
didn't. Bermuda was originally only supposed to be a one-chapter short story. It
was not supposed to go past Tarma, Keth, Warrl, Van, Stef, and 'Fandes. But, it
did. And the chapter after this is going to be the last one. I hope no one is
too upset. If I can get so theories about Bermuda, however, there may be a
sequel. But that's a big maybe. I can't see how to fit it in. If you have any
ideas, however, let me know. I'd love to see what everyone else thinks, and
think that a story compiled by other writers would be very interesting. So,
e-mail me and let me know, 'kay? Well, let's get the disclaimer part over with.
I don't own any of this. I think that's enough said, ne? Oh! Just wait until the
last chap! This one is just for you, Sha. With the stupid gryphon himself!
@~}{~@@~}{~@@~}{~@}{~@ ßMaiden's Hope!
Chapter Four: A Promise Kept
He dropped the garland of Maiden's Hope on the bed and smiled knowingly to
himself as he remembered that beautiful Midsummer morning. The delicate blossoms
sat gingerly on the red coverlet and his smiled turned to a grin.
"No doubt about it, hmm, Chosen," Tantris asked, leaning against the window
frame. His brown, nondescript hair danced slightly on the cool Autumn breeze and
his sapphire eyes gazed out the window, giving the on looker a sight of a
masculine, chiseled profile. Kris crossed his arms over his chest and smirked,
his own long, raven tresses playing with the breeze.
An odd sensation, considering he was dead.
"None at all," he replied leaning against the wall and crossing his legs over
one another as well. "I know how much Dirk wanted kids," he laughed softly, so
as not to alert Elspeth sitting just outside the door. "And knowing Talia,
she'll want them just as much."
:What brings you two from the Heavens,: a deep voice "asked."
Tantris smiled and waved out the window, and Kris stalked over to learn the
owner of the voice. :Hullo, Rolan!: The late Companion's Mindvoice was light and
cheerful. The Grove born Companion whickered his reply.
Kris waved out the window as well. :We're fulfilling an old promise,: the former
field Herald told him.
:You mean the flowers, don't you?:
Kris grinned down at the forlorn look in the "horse's" body language. :That
would be correct my near demi-god.:
:But I want to giver her the flowers!:
Kris smiled at the Companion again. :I'm the one that promised her; I should be
the one to deliver them, so there!:
There was an impression of the Queen's Own Companion sticking his tongue out at
the two Heaven Hoppers. :You two had better get going, then,: he said evenly,
with a hint of indigence that the two had laughed at him. :The two newly weds
are on their way up to their room, and I have no doubt about what they'll be up
to either--:
:Nor have I any doubt about what you'll be doing, nearly immortal one. What,
with that bond of yours…: came an feminine voice. :Run along you two: With that,
the two Companion's rode away.
Kris smiled again. "Come along, brother-mine. We have friends who wish a word or
two with us on that lovely little island."
Tantris bowed mockingly. "Oh, of course, Noble and Vain Herald."
Kris laughed. "And handsome. Don't forget handsome!"
There was a rolling of sapphire eyes. "However could I have forgotten, that?"
To the on looker, the pair of friends walked to the door, and seemed to fade to
nothing just as the door opened for a happy wedded couple who seemed the could
be happier until they saw the little surprise waiting for them. The gift left no
doubt in their minds that they were loved and watched by _all_ their friends.
@~}{~@
"Took you two long enough to get back," Ylsa snarled good-naturedly out the
door. Valdemar smiled at the woman's back. "What did you do, fall passionately
for one another?"
Kris and Tantris' laughing came to the ears of those in the little bungalow, and
a few moments later, their faces appeared, Kris' holding his laughter; Tantris'
smirking. "Ylsa," the Companion intoned paternally, his blue eyes dancing with
mischief, "Just because, you, your lifebonded, and your Companion can't keep
your hands off each other does not mean that the rest of is can't act reasonably
around out counterparts!"
Ylsa laughed and gestured for the pair to sit and talk in the little room with
the rest of the group. Lashan and Valdemar sat next to each other, looking at
the trio, one in complete confusion, the other trying to suppress his laughter.
"I'm afraid you've utterly confused me again," the mare-like woman said.
Valdemar laced his fingers with hers and patted her hand. "We've always confused
you, love," he told her. "But then, you were a _sword_ for nearly all of your
existence, so that _could_ be easily done…"
That comment earned the former king a rough punch in the arm…not that he could
feel it, being in Heaven and all, but the sensation was there, however detached,
so he knew she'd hit him hard in hopes that it might actually hurt this time.
But you just didn't feel pain here.
Valdemar smiled at his lover. There weren't lifebonded, but as far as he could
tell, that hardly meant anything. She complimented him well, and he didn't want
to find out whom his lifebond was if it meant losing Lashan, his Need.
"When we're all in human form, all three of us are lovers. We're a strange
bunch, but we love each other dearly," Ylsa explained. "Usually, two of us are
lovers, and the third is a Companion, but we all seemed to want to be human this
time, and all three of us Heralds."
"You lot like to complicate things beyond rational thought," Lashan stated,
absently rubbing her thumb across Valdemar's hand. "That's why I refuse to be
reborn."
Ylsa bark a sharp laugh. "Well, you were alive long enough to get it right the
first time, don't you think?"
Lashan snorted. "If you call being a blind, deaf, mute Mage-Smith existing as a
hunk of steel living, sure. I lived long enough to get it right the first time."
All the occupants of the room laughed at that.
"What about you, Valdemar," Kris asked. "You want to be reborn?"
Valdemar laughed, "And leave this one behind to torture everyone except me?"
Lashan blushed slightly. "No, I like her too much," he replied, looking at her
appreciatively. Lashan wasn't pretty in the ageless,
make-any-man-fall-in-love-with-her sense. No, she had the beauty of the
well-tempered blade she once was. She was strong and loving, and she wouldn't
take horse turds from anyone. She was the loveliest creature he'd ever laid eyes
on, though she resembled his Companion. Of course, he'd never tell _her_ that!
"Besides, if I weren't here, who would jeep her occupied with something other
than terrorizing people?"
"Feh," Tantris snorted, his eyes smiling knowingly. "You're a sick masochist!
That the gods you didn't know her where you were alive," he told him tensely.
"You'd have been a demented king, indeed! I don't think you'd have been Chosen!"
Valdemar took a piece of fruit from the bowl next to his arm and threw the apple
at the ill-begotten Companion's head.
"You see that," he asked his former Herald as he ducked. "He's sadistic too!"
"Only to you," Kris replied as if commenting on the weather. "But then, everyone
gets so annoyed with you that you should feel complimented with being pelted
with only _one_ fruit!"
Tantris jabbed Kris with his elbow. "You're one to talk, 'Insensitive Peacock,"
he retorted indignantly. "For some reason I seem to recall something about being
damned to hell. I think that gilded carriages and purple cushions were part of
it too…"
"So was Dirk," Kris defended, crossing his arms. "It was his fault for snapping
at her!"
"You were the one who was positive that just because she was female and sharing
you bed that she's fallen madly in love with you," Tantris said laughing. "Now,
had Jerri been your trainee…"
"Oh, shut up, _horse_!"
Tantris laughed again. "Why, is our noble little peacock embarrassed," he asked
in delighted malice. "How unlike him this is! Perhaps we should capture this
moment forever in writing. Quickly, someone get a scribe!"
Kris mutter something inaudible as he turned his head away to hide his flush,
but Valdemar though it was something to the affect of "I'll 'capture the moment
forever,' you…"
Lashan spoke up. "Would you be reborn, 'Noble little Peacock," she asked,
perversely deriving pleasure from the young man's annoyance. 'And he called me
the sadist!' Valdemar thought, brushing a raven lock back and his grin forcing
his almond shaped black eyes to squint just slightly.
"To get away from the tormenting I get here, yes. In fact, I think I will, thank
you." Kris tightened his arms about his chest and looked farther away, closing
his eyes, looking miffed.
Ylsa chuckled. "Aw, poor, abused baby," she teased. "You won't go alone. I want
to see if I can catch up to my girls before they catch up to me."
Kris snorted. "Oh, comforting. Another 'teacher' telling me I'm too vain for my
own good." But Kris seemed to perk up at the idea of Ylsa going with him.
Lashan rubbed her eyes as the sun began to set over the water. "Well, I'm for
bed." She stood and walked to the door, "You coming, Val, or are you going to
socialize some more?"
"And leave my lady unescorted?! Not a chance!"
Lashan snorted as he followed her out. "Flatterer," she voiced as he watched the
sun set.
"Always," Valdemar said as-a-matter-of-factly. "But, you're worth it."
She smiled slightly at him. She's told him he was he first lover, and her was
grateful for it, and hardly would likely risk losing her. She was his
compliment, his Need. He wanted nothing more. As they walked back, hand in hand,
to their own little bungalow, he sang to himself, and into her mind, :That's
where we wanna go…: