2. An Unwanted Lover

Kaprice let the soothing sounds of the drums and flutes wash over her. It was just moments till sundown and the beginning of the festivals. All four of the Black tribes (Sands, Hawk, Glare, and Star) had arrived and settled down near the oasis.

Kaprice had settled down under a tree in the oasis with a blanket. The dancing and rejoicing didn't take place in the oasis, but the music was still audible. Everyone had gone over to the big fire that was being set up in between the four individual camps of the four tribes. That's where the dancing and celebration would take place. It was rather peaceful here at the oasis by herself.

The sun disappeared over the horizon and Kaprice was able to hear everyone cheer. Then the music really started up. Kaprice was almost able to feel the ground beneath her shake from the beat of dancing feet and pounding drums.

Dawne always started with a drawing of partners. Before the start of the festival, all possible female candidates were to scribble their names onto small slips of paper that would later be placed into a little cauldron. Then, after the sun had gone down, all eligible males took turns drawing out a name. And the first dance of the festival would then be danced with that partner.

Kaprice had not submitted a slip of paper with her name. She hadn't done so since her first festival.

Even over the music, Kaprice could hear men roaring with laughter and young women squealing in dismay. Not everyone got who they wanted, but as tradition dictated, they would dance with the person luck paired them with. The young couples would then be joined with already married wives and husbands, celebrating the successes of their own unions.

Kaprice leaned back onto her blanket and stared up at the glittering night sky. Lots of stars out there tonight, she observed. The night was clear and calm, with very little clouds blocking the sky.

Kaprice loved taking time out for herself and just staring up at the dark sky. The stars weren't judgmental; they didn't think of her as "The Freak."

When had the tribe first started to dislike her? Kaprice didn't remember. Perhaps it was because she was an orphan. Family was everything to the tribes. They were your support, your consolation, your most trusted friends. The common punishment for betraying family was exile. Sometimes even execution. Without family, you had no one.

Well, then. Kaprice had no one. No one but herself.

But that wasn't the only reason why the tribes disliked her. They disliked her because, well, she was just strange.

Kaprice knew things. Strange things that not even the tribal shaman knew about. She knew when sandstorms were coming; her predictions were more accurate than the shaman's. She knew which oases were polluted with poison left by rival tribes even without examining the water. She knew when it was better to leave a hopelessly sick camel than try futilely to save it. To say it plainly, she just spooked the others of her tribe.

Some had even gone far enough to whisper the cursed word 'magic' behind her back.

And the fact that she was pretty didn't help her situation either. Her beauty just dug her deeper into the hole.

The pounding music suddenly fell away, to be replaced to a softer set of percussion and flutes. The musicians were officially playing the first song of the festival. The perfect song for two young people to sway to.

When Kaprice heard the sound of careful footsteps coming toward her, she hoped that they would just continue past her.

But instead, they stopped right in front of her.

"You aren't by the center fire, Kaprice."

Kaprice gave an inward sigh and pulled herself to her feet. If she just continued to lay about on her blanket, Ryker might take that as an invitation.

"And you are wonderfully observant, Ryker. As always." She ran her hands down her desert robes, brushing off grains of sand. "You're not married yet, Ryker?" she asked with a dry tone. "The girls must be horribly disappointed."

"There's no rush for me to marry." Ryker said. "I'm still young."

Ryker was twenty years old, and as men went, just at the beginning of his prime.

"Most young men get married at the age of twenty. Perhaps you should follow suit." she suggested.

"I was never one to follow the crowd. You should know that, Kaprice." he said to her pointedly.

"Well, perhaps you should start now." she snapped.

Ryker just smiled. His smile reminded her of the other reason why Ryker was so irresistible to the young women: he was incredibly attractive. Ryker had light brown hair that glittered gold in the desert sun and bottomless hazel eyes that one could look into forever. And his smile had the ability to make any woman shiver with its unspoken promises. His lean, muscular body only added to the effect.

And it didn't help that Kaprice personally knew how it felt to be held in his arms.

Kaprice folded her arms across her chest and glared at him. "What do you want." Her voice wasn't exactly friendly.

Ryker lifted his hand and in his hand was a small slip of white paper.

Kaprice already knew what was written inside. But she still voiced her protests.

"I didn't submit my name to the drawing."

"You didn't need to." Ryker said.

The only time that she had done so was at her very first Dawne, at her very first spring festival three years ago. And Ryker had drawn her name.

Ryker proceeded to unfold the paper he held and revealed her scribbled name.

Kaprice stared at the paper for a moment before returning her glare to Ryker. "Why do you still have that? After three years? Why don't you just get rid of it?" Why don't you just leave me alone? she added to herself silently. He had brought the same slip of paper with her name from the first festival back to her at her second Dawne. And her third. And now at her fourth.

Ryker gazed at her with his soft hazel eyes. "I can't." He gently folded the paper back in half and hid it away in one of his pockets.

"Why not?" she demanded in frustration.

He didn't answer.

"You're too damn stubborn." she finally said.

Ryker reached out a hand as if to touch her, but she immediately swatted it away.

"You know, you are quite beautiful when you are angry." He observed.

"You tell me that every year. And every year I tell you to leave me the hell alone."

He looked at her with amusement. "Any other girl would be happy to be in your place with me--"

"And I'd willingly give them my place." she retorted.

He stepped toward her, reaching for her again, and she took a step back. When she realized what she had done, she took a step forward, back toward him.

"Don't make me pull a knife on you." she threatened.

That made him smile again, and Kaprice had to clench her hands into fists to keep herself from responding to him. Damn him and his gorgeous smile.

Several long moments passed, and he just continued to stare at her.

Kaprice suddenly sighed, tired of her whole predicament. A predicament like this one had occurred at every Dawne festival after the first. She didn't want to go through it a third time. "Ryker. Please, just go away."

Ryker lifted his hand to her cheek and she quickly grabbed his wrist. He could have fought her and won; he was stronger than she. But he didn't.

"Will you never forgive me?" he suddenly asked her, voice incredibly soft.

She blinked in surprise. He had never asked her that before. "I don't like to repeat my mistakes."

"But it wasn't because of me th--"

She held up a hand to cut him off. She knew that what he was just about to say was definitely something that he had said to her before.

He moved to lower his hand back down to his side and she started to release him when, quicker than a snake, he grabbed her hand and brought it against his lips.

"Your skin smells like the rare desert flower that blooms only one day each year."

She sighed. "Won't you ever stop trying to seduce me?" she asked as she took her hand back.

"Won't you ever forget about the misunderstanding and forgive me?" he asked back.

"No."

He nodded. "And that's the same answer that I give you to your question."

He stepped back from her and leaned into a deep, formal bow. "I will see you later, Kaprice."

She sighed as she watched him walk away. She had been afraid of that.

~*~*~

A.N. - so there's the second chapter. How was it? We got to know a little more about Kaprice and a little more about Ryker as well.

Pen Mage: Kaprice's name is pronounced like the pants, but with the s sound at the end.

Uhm…for others who had questions: most questions people asked will be answered in later chapters, so I won't ruin the flow of the story by revealing the answers yet. But if you do have a question that is particularly bugging you, ask and I'll do my best to answer it.

~krizsta

p.s.: for those of you who wanted to see Thorn and Evin again, how would you like it if they appeared in this fic (with minor, minor roles, however)? If this is what some of you would like, I may be able to work them into my fic somehow.