~Memories~
By Ola
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A/N~ sorry for the shortness of this chapter. I don't really have an excuse for it. I just happened to end it here =)
Thank you for all the wonderful reviews! I love you guys! As always, I hope you are enjoying this story, (and I hope you'll keep reading it!). I have a rather set plan for this fic already (yea yea, I do know the ending right now. Lol =) but nope, I won't tell. Yet =) and I plan on writing a sequel, but I haven't written anything about it yet, although I do have some idea as to what will happen. Ok, I'll stop now and let you read, if you haven't skipped this part already!
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Part 22~
For a moment, Lan didn't know where she was or why she had awoken, until another chilly breeze caressed her body. Way too cold. She shivered, looking down at herself, realizing exactly why it was that cold. Silly girl, it's not the season to be dressed that way. Grin. It's NEVER the season to be so…undressed. A long look at the young man lying next to her, still in the land of dreams. Although for him, any season is warm enough. The girl's face clouded for a moment at the thought that they only had three more seasons to share together before they would part ways. Not even three FULL seasons; more like two and a little. Sigh. Better make the best of it.
She shivered again and looked at the sky with a start, only now realizing that this day was drawing to its end, and that they should be getting back to camp before someone began looking for them!
"Wake up sleeping beauty" a kiss accompanied the saying, which produced the same results it had for the other beauty, the one that had slept for a much longer period of time. The young man kissed the girl back, a joyful glimmer in his eyes.
"Good morning love."
"Morning!" laugh. "Are you sure you didn't hurt your head in that cave?" she smoothed his hair back, until he suddenly sat up in alarm, looking widely around him, and in the process throwing off the cloak that had covered the pair.
"Aii!" Lan glued herself to his chest, tugging the cloak back up around them. Sindarin's eyes finally landed on Lan, and a smile beamed on his face, followed by yet another long kiss, then a sigh.
"Do we really have to go now?"
"Uh hum"
"I wish I could stay with you like this forever"
"So would I …love" it was a word that still tasted strange, and it made both of them smile sheepishly.
"Okay, we drop the blanket at the count of three."
"One"
"One and a half"
"Two"
"Two and a third"
"Two and a half"
"Two and three quarters"
"THREE!!!!!"
They rushed to the pile of clothes with a yell, and quite a few curses, as cold cloth touched fast cooling skin. They dressed in record time, and with a last good look at the place that had become so special to them both, they left the little valley, each of them picking a flower and tucking it into their breast pocket. They began walking at a fast pace, each lost in his own thoughts, until the sun's orange disk, no more than a hand span above the next hill, shone right into their eyes.
And then they ran…
…For quite a long time…
…And arrived breathless, hot, and beet red from the exertion. Which Lan very quickly realized, was quite a blessing. As the whole camp watched the late comers, the girl felt as if the fact that she had lost her virginity was branded on her forehead for everyone to see. She could not meet anyone's eyes, and all she wanted was to be left alone. But the captain was waiting for their report of the caves. God, that seems such a long time ago…Fortunately, after a quick glance at her, Sindarin did all the talking; a very brief talking. Thank God! And they finally were allowed to go, which they did with quite some speed, heading for their tent, high strung and on their guards.
Neither of them slept much that night, to say the least, and not because of a repeat of what had happened in the valley. They were surrounded by the other guard trainees, and in an open tent at that. Any little noise, however inconspicuous, would be heard by all, so they had to satisfy themselves with holding hands under the blankets. Both of them were thinking of what they had done, as images danced behind their eyelids. What will we do now? Will…will he still love me tomorrow? Will it ever get easier? This hiding and lying?... sigh. And what is he thinking about now? Lan turned her head toward Sindarin's shape, faintly outlined by the distant glow of the camp fire. Unbeknownst to her, the same thoughts flitted through his head, while the hand that was not clasping hers lay on his breast pocket, feeling the soft outlines of a little orange flower.
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In the next several days, the company made its way farther south. They were now at the level of Haven, traveling on a line perpendicular to the border of Iftel, three days' walk away, to the East. The ground progressively became rockier and it rose in what could no longer be called hills. No, those were mountains. Not overly tall yet, but higher peaks majestically rose on the horizon, hazy with distance and fog. Many lakes still dotted the region, although now, the guard trainees mostly used mountain streams as their main source of water.
And during all that time, Lan and Sindarin had to content themselves with quick kisses stolen in the darkness of the night or lingering touches when handing something over. Only once did they get a respite, while camping on a slanting hillside. During the night, they had both rolled out of under the tent, and came to rest under a tree, squashed into each other. That morning was the only one in which they had awakened in each other's arms, a broad smile on their face. And they had not been the only ones, although everyone else was much less thrilled to wake up face to face with their partners.
And life went on. They continued practicing archery, sparing, and waling, always walking, until they stood at the height of a pass, nested in between two mountains sharply jutting into the sky. From their vantage point, they saw a silver ribbon meandering in between little hills covered with bare trees, and half a day's march away, a little hamlet with gray houses, a gray dusty road, and thin plums of gray smoke rising straight into the air. It was hard to name anything that wasn't gray, but everyone was way too happy to have reached someplace civilized to complain. The captain did not disappoint anyone when he alleged that their next set of tasks and lessons would take place there.
With gray puffs of steam coming out of the trainees' mouth and nostrils, the company started down into the valley.
Up close, there was mot much more color. The few people that walked about in the late evening were dressed mostly in earthy browns, greens, and of course grays, colors that did not show stains that easily and were easy to make into dyes. The company was all the more pleasantly surprised b the big fir roaring tamely in the inn the captain had chosen. Well, it was the only inn in the town, but it more than made up for it by being twice the size of a usual, big, city inn.
"You have the afternoon off." Matejas rolled his eyes, while Dareel flashed his teeth and settled down in front of the counter, a big brown mug of ale already in hand. Outside, darkness had covered the region. "Afternoon" was definitely a little far fetched.
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A/N~ Don't have much to say (I just got used to having to author's notes for some reason =) except review review!!!
~Ola~
