Title: Diplomacy 19
Author: Arisma
Rating: R Disclaimer: To the tune of Leslie Gore, "You don't own me"- I don't own it; don't try to claim it in any way. I don't own it; don't hunt me down 'cause I'll never pay! . Feedback: chalice_nazarene@hotmail.com -*--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**-- **--**--*-
He brought his hand up to shield his eyes, surveying the landscape. Sand stretched in every direction, an unnatural red in color, tiny grains sparkling in the merciless sun. He searched the horizon, his eyes sliding over distant dunes shimmering from the intense heat. With a sigh he dropped his gaze, running the back of his hand across his forehead, wiping away the thin sheen of sweat.
Turning, he stretched, walked back towards the rest of his party. One of the elves gathered there tossed him a water skin before again leaning close to a large elf, deep in thier planning. Legolas watched them for a moment, his best friend and his one time bitter enemy. What had happened between them that they were so close, now? So much had changed while they had been away, so much changed. . .
Shrugging, he turned away, padding softly across the sand, kneeling next to the reclining form of his lover. Lifting the skin he drank deeply, wrinkling his nose slightly at the warm, stale water. He handed it to her and she drank as well, sighing as she capped the skin again. "What I wouldn't give for a drink that was merely tepid." She smiled as she spoke, running her hand softly along his arm.
He grinned in return, placing a lingering kiss on her lips. He stretched out next to her, feeling the heat of the sand against his side as he did so. "This place is just so... strange." he said, grasping a handful of tiny grains and letting them slide through his fingers. She nodded but remained silent, tipping her chin towards the sun. He ran his finger slowly, lightly along the curve of her throat, tracing her collar bones when he reached them.
She opened one eye and watched him, the serious, intent expression, the gleam in his eyes and felt love surge anew through her. "Are you having fun?" she asked in a quiet, amused voice.
He nodded, his face still a mask of intensity, replying, "If I could spend every moment from now until eternity feeling you, I would do so, gladly." She smiled, still eyeing him, silent. He propped himself on his elbow, granting him better access to her, tracing the curve of her shoulder, the angle of her jaw. He felt her eyes on him, slowly lifted his own to meet them.
She bit her lower lip, her eyes sparkling, watching him, a smile still curving the edges of her mouth. She shifted to her side, facing him, raising her own hand, she trailed her thumb along his jawline, tangling her fingers in his hair. She leaned towards him, seeking his lips, but he spoke instead, thier lips brushing as he formed words. "I thought I had seen so much, felt so much. And then I met you, and everything changed. The first time I saw you, in that clearing, was the moment of my birth. When you touched my hand, it was as though I had never been touched. I never knew it, but I was a half person. It wasn't until I touched you, tasted you, that I became real. You complete me, Rhya." the final words were a mere whisper of breath, almost inaudible.
She sat frozen, watching him with eyes that glittered with moisture now, her tumb drawing slow circles on his flesh. Barely moving, he pressed his lips to hers, drawing the fullness of her lower lip into his mouth, tasting. He felt her shudder and deepened the kiss, tracing the curve of her cheek with the backs of his fingers, finally resting his hand on the curve of her hip, feeling her tremble at his touch. He broke the kiss, shifting his attention to her eyelids, kissing away her tears, smiling.
"No tears, love." he said quietly, smiling at her.
"No tears." she repeated, smiling softly herself, her eyes locked with his.
He sat up, pulling her up also, settling her back against his chest, leaning his cheek against the heat of her dark hair. They rested like that, in companionable silence, until Kailin approached them. He felt Rhya nod a greeting, watched as he returned the gesture before settling down on his haunches. He ran a hand through his hair, sighing. "There is good news, and bad news. The good news is we made really good time yesterday. The bad news is we came too far and have to backtrack some. It's going to be several hours til we reach our destination. Are you up to it?" His gaze encompassed them both, but Legolas felt it linger on Rhya an extra moment.
She nodded, sitting up straighter. "When do we leave?" she asked, standing as she spoke.
"As soon as the last of the scouts return." he replied, nodding towards the area the rest of the elves occupied.
She nodded and stretched extending a hand to help Legolas to his feet. He grasped it and pulled himself erect, scanning the horizon as he straightened. He pointed off to the right, his sharp eyes spying the small plume of dust that signalled the approaching riders. Kailin followed his finger, smiling as he clapped his friend on the back. "Right then, mount up!"
Around them the soldiers stood and brushed down thier clothes, gathering thier mounts from the vague shade in which they huddled. With a breif kiss, Legolas and Rhya mounted, positioning thier horses close to each other, relaxed, waiting for the riders to arrive.
When they did Legolas felt his spine stiffen, his eyes locked not on the two elves he knew, but on the five figures behind them, silent, brooding figures, swathed entirely in black, gauzy fabric, only thier eyes visible. He glanced at Rhya, saw her brow furrowed in confusion. "Who are they?" he asked quietly, pointedly. She shook her head in negation, chewing at her lower lip. Leaning he breifly touched her hand, straightening quickly.
The scouts approached Kallo, speaking in low voices which Legolas could not discern. He nodded and then leaned to Kailin, speaking with him as the rider returned to the cloaked figures. Legolas saw the dark heads turn towards the two whispering elves, thier hooded eyes fixed on the large elf. Kallo straightened and Kailin nodded pointedly at the strange figures. They bowed slightly, restricted by their saddles and immediately turned thier mounts and started away.
To his surprise the others began to trot after them, small puffs of dust resulting from every hoof fall. With a start Legolas nudged his horse forward, turning to be sure Rhya followed suit. She rode slightly behind him, coughing lightly. He smiled and turned his attention to the riders who lead them, studying the way they moved, thier mounts, thier strange dress. Distracted he didn't notice that when Rhyalla's coughing had ceased, she lowered her hand and the palm of it was flecked lightly with her own blood.
Author: Arisma
Rating: R Disclaimer: To the tune of Leslie Gore, "You don't own me"- I don't own it; don't try to claim it in any way. I don't own it; don't hunt me down 'cause I'll never pay! . Feedback: chalice_nazarene@hotmail.com -*--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**-- **--**--*-
He brought his hand up to shield his eyes, surveying the landscape. Sand stretched in every direction, an unnatural red in color, tiny grains sparkling in the merciless sun. He searched the horizon, his eyes sliding over distant dunes shimmering from the intense heat. With a sigh he dropped his gaze, running the back of his hand across his forehead, wiping away the thin sheen of sweat.
Turning, he stretched, walked back towards the rest of his party. One of the elves gathered there tossed him a water skin before again leaning close to a large elf, deep in thier planning. Legolas watched them for a moment, his best friend and his one time bitter enemy. What had happened between them that they were so close, now? So much had changed while they had been away, so much changed. . .
Shrugging, he turned away, padding softly across the sand, kneeling next to the reclining form of his lover. Lifting the skin he drank deeply, wrinkling his nose slightly at the warm, stale water. He handed it to her and she drank as well, sighing as she capped the skin again. "What I wouldn't give for a drink that was merely tepid." She smiled as she spoke, running her hand softly along his arm.
He grinned in return, placing a lingering kiss on her lips. He stretched out next to her, feeling the heat of the sand against his side as he did so. "This place is just so... strange." he said, grasping a handful of tiny grains and letting them slide through his fingers. She nodded but remained silent, tipping her chin towards the sun. He ran his finger slowly, lightly along the curve of her throat, tracing her collar bones when he reached them.
She opened one eye and watched him, the serious, intent expression, the gleam in his eyes and felt love surge anew through her. "Are you having fun?" she asked in a quiet, amused voice.
He nodded, his face still a mask of intensity, replying, "If I could spend every moment from now until eternity feeling you, I would do so, gladly." She smiled, still eyeing him, silent. He propped himself on his elbow, granting him better access to her, tracing the curve of her shoulder, the angle of her jaw. He felt her eyes on him, slowly lifted his own to meet them.
She bit her lower lip, her eyes sparkling, watching him, a smile still curving the edges of her mouth. She shifted to her side, facing him, raising her own hand, she trailed her thumb along his jawline, tangling her fingers in his hair. She leaned towards him, seeking his lips, but he spoke instead, thier lips brushing as he formed words. "I thought I had seen so much, felt so much. And then I met you, and everything changed. The first time I saw you, in that clearing, was the moment of my birth. When you touched my hand, it was as though I had never been touched. I never knew it, but I was a half person. It wasn't until I touched you, tasted you, that I became real. You complete me, Rhya." the final words were a mere whisper of breath, almost inaudible.
She sat frozen, watching him with eyes that glittered with moisture now, her tumb drawing slow circles on his flesh. Barely moving, he pressed his lips to hers, drawing the fullness of her lower lip into his mouth, tasting. He felt her shudder and deepened the kiss, tracing the curve of her cheek with the backs of his fingers, finally resting his hand on the curve of her hip, feeling her tremble at his touch. He broke the kiss, shifting his attention to her eyelids, kissing away her tears, smiling.
"No tears, love." he said quietly, smiling at her.
"No tears." she repeated, smiling softly herself, her eyes locked with his.
He sat up, pulling her up also, settling her back against his chest, leaning his cheek against the heat of her dark hair. They rested like that, in companionable silence, until Kailin approached them. He felt Rhya nod a greeting, watched as he returned the gesture before settling down on his haunches. He ran a hand through his hair, sighing. "There is good news, and bad news. The good news is we made really good time yesterday. The bad news is we came too far and have to backtrack some. It's going to be several hours til we reach our destination. Are you up to it?" His gaze encompassed them both, but Legolas felt it linger on Rhya an extra moment.
She nodded, sitting up straighter. "When do we leave?" she asked, standing as she spoke.
"As soon as the last of the scouts return." he replied, nodding towards the area the rest of the elves occupied.
She nodded and stretched extending a hand to help Legolas to his feet. He grasped it and pulled himself erect, scanning the horizon as he straightened. He pointed off to the right, his sharp eyes spying the small plume of dust that signalled the approaching riders. Kailin followed his finger, smiling as he clapped his friend on the back. "Right then, mount up!"
Around them the soldiers stood and brushed down thier clothes, gathering thier mounts from the vague shade in which they huddled. With a breif kiss, Legolas and Rhya mounted, positioning thier horses close to each other, relaxed, waiting for the riders to arrive.
When they did Legolas felt his spine stiffen, his eyes locked not on the two elves he knew, but on the five figures behind them, silent, brooding figures, swathed entirely in black, gauzy fabric, only thier eyes visible. He glanced at Rhya, saw her brow furrowed in confusion. "Who are they?" he asked quietly, pointedly. She shook her head in negation, chewing at her lower lip. Leaning he breifly touched her hand, straightening quickly.
The scouts approached Kallo, speaking in low voices which Legolas could not discern. He nodded and then leaned to Kailin, speaking with him as the rider returned to the cloaked figures. Legolas saw the dark heads turn towards the two whispering elves, thier hooded eyes fixed on the large elf. Kallo straightened and Kailin nodded pointedly at the strange figures. They bowed slightly, restricted by their saddles and immediately turned thier mounts and started away.
To his surprise the others began to trot after them, small puffs of dust resulting from every hoof fall. With a start Legolas nudged his horse forward, turning to be sure Rhya followed suit. She rode slightly behind him, coughing lightly. He smiled and turned his attention to the riders who lead them, studying the way they moved, thier mounts, thier strange dress. Distracted he didn't notice that when Rhyalla's coughing had ceased, she lowered her hand and the palm of it was flecked lightly with her own blood.