Oct 2002
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, I'm just borrowing them. The story, however, is
mine.
A New Beginning
Chapter 14
Lady Arlena closed her door behind her and locked it. The day had been a beautiful
one and she hadn't been able to resist walking along the shore. Why oh why had Gilthanas
decided to do the same? She'd asked for space and then encouraged him to come closer. How
much more could she confuse him? She grimaced and went to her window, throwing it wide so
she could watch the waves from a distance. Leaning against the railing, she stared out
across the glittering sea. So much had changed in the world during her lifetime. Krynn was
no longer the same as the one she'd been born into. Her father, Palpatine, was gone.
Having disappeared with the rest of the Gods. Her love, she had thought, was destroyed by
his own inability to see beyond racial lines. She knew better now, he'd done nothing but
accept her in whatever form she choose to take since he'd arrived. She continued to stare
across the ocean, but her eyes saw him in her mind's eye. The blonde hair, his face, still
handsome despite the scar, his lean muscular body. She shivered. She longed to be held by
him, to be accepted for who and what she was, but she couldn't. Not yet.
There were still those in the fortress she didn't trust, those she would never
trust, with her true identity. To live as a human, to eat sleep and act as one, was very
taxing on her soul. A part of her longed to simply take her true form and fly away. Away
from the hurt and confusion Gilthanas' sudden presence had brought back. She felt
something akin to tears sting her eyes and blinked quickly. Her eyes were gritty, dry from
being open too long and she shut the window.
She didn't need this, didn't want this. She'd been content to give humans the
benefits of her knowledge. She'd been content with her place among them, even if it was a
solitary existence. Who was she trying to fool? Arlena walked to her bed and dropped
down, throwing one arm over her eyes. Gilthanas had brought back every longing, every
happy moment she'd ever shared with him. And while the good didn't come close to
outweighing the bad in terms of volume, the quality of the love she'd shared with him for a
time had humbled her. Her. A Silver Dragon. She sighed, rolling over to grab a pillow
from the head of the bed and hugged it. She'd missed him. Missed him more than she'd ever
admitted to anyone, even herself.
Yet, if she wanted to be with him, to be once again his acknowledged lover, what
would she have to give up? The respect she'd earned? Her position in the knighthood?
Would they trust her once they knew to the extent she'd tricked them? Would she want to be
a part of an order that couldn't look beyond the surface to the soul beneath? Arlena
groaned, burying her face in the pillow. So much could happen if she revealed her true
nature. She readily admitted to herself that the most terrifying possibility was having
one of the Dragon overlords come searching for her. Could she stand against one of those
monstrous wyrms?
Would she want to when the time came? She frowned. Where had that thought come
from? She'd taken the form of a human to escape them, lived as a human to avoid detection.
She didn't want to die, no matter the pain she'd been feeling. But if she lived for a
thousand years and Gilthanas died, would she long for death then? Would she seek it
herself? She blocked the thoughts from her mind. The future was shaky, unforeseeable; it
was better not to dwell on what had yet to happen. If, when the time came, she couldn't
live without him, she would deal with it then. Not before.
Pushing herself off the bed she started to take a step and froze. Was that her
decision then? To throw everything away because Gilthanas had come back with the right
words and actions? Was she willing to throw away everything she'd accomplished simply
because he'd learned to say "I love you" to her as a Dragon? She stopped, sinking down to
the bed, her head in her hands. She was so confused. Her heart was begging her to go to
him, to see him and hold him. Begging to be loved again, the way he'd first loved her
underneath the waterfall on Ergoth. It had been so many years ago, and yet it felt like
yesterday. The hurt, the pain, the joys were all as fresh in her mind as if they'd
happened the night before.
She swallowed hard and lay back against the covers, turning her face from the
window. Tomorrow she'd have to make a decision regarding her future. For now she would
try and get some rest. She had a feeling she'd need it for the confrontation that was
inevitable.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, I'm just borrowing them. The story, however, is
mine.
A New Beginning
Chapter 14
Lady Arlena closed her door behind her and locked it. The day had been a beautiful
one and she hadn't been able to resist walking along the shore. Why oh why had Gilthanas
decided to do the same? She'd asked for space and then encouraged him to come closer. How
much more could she confuse him? She grimaced and went to her window, throwing it wide so
she could watch the waves from a distance. Leaning against the railing, she stared out
across the glittering sea. So much had changed in the world during her lifetime. Krynn was
no longer the same as the one she'd been born into. Her father, Palpatine, was gone.
Having disappeared with the rest of the Gods. Her love, she had thought, was destroyed by
his own inability to see beyond racial lines. She knew better now, he'd done nothing but
accept her in whatever form she choose to take since he'd arrived. She continued to stare
across the ocean, but her eyes saw him in her mind's eye. The blonde hair, his face, still
handsome despite the scar, his lean muscular body. She shivered. She longed to be held by
him, to be accepted for who and what she was, but she couldn't. Not yet.
There were still those in the fortress she didn't trust, those she would never
trust, with her true identity. To live as a human, to eat sleep and act as one, was very
taxing on her soul. A part of her longed to simply take her true form and fly away. Away
from the hurt and confusion Gilthanas' sudden presence had brought back. She felt
something akin to tears sting her eyes and blinked quickly. Her eyes were gritty, dry from
being open too long and she shut the window.
She didn't need this, didn't want this. She'd been content to give humans the
benefits of her knowledge. She'd been content with her place among them, even if it was a
solitary existence. Who was she trying to fool? Arlena walked to her bed and dropped
down, throwing one arm over her eyes. Gilthanas had brought back every longing, every
happy moment she'd ever shared with him. And while the good didn't come close to
outweighing the bad in terms of volume, the quality of the love she'd shared with him for a
time had humbled her. Her. A Silver Dragon. She sighed, rolling over to grab a pillow
from the head of the bed and hugged it. She'd missed him. Missed him more than she'd ever
admitted to anyone, even herself.
Yet, if she wanted to be with him, to be once again his acknowledged lover, what
would she have to give up? The respect she'd earned? Her position in the knighthood?
Would they trust her once they knew to the extent she'd tricked them? Would she want to be
a part of an order that couldn't look beyond the surface to the soul beneath? Arlena
groaned, burying her face in the pillow. So much could happen if she revealed her true
nature. She readily admitted to herself that the most terrifying possibility was having
one of the Dragon overlords come searching for her. Could she stand against one of those
monstrous wyrms?
Would she want to when the time came? She frowned. Where had that thought come
from? She'd taken the form of a human to escape them, lived as a human to avoid detection.
She didn't want to die, no matter the pain she'd been feeling. But if she lived for a
thousand years and Gilthanas died, would she long for death then? Would she seek it
herself? She blocked the thoughts from her mind. The future was shaky, unforeseeable; it
was better not to dwell on what had yet to happen. If, when the time came, she couldn't
live without him, she would deal with it then. Not before.
Pushing herself off the bed she started to take a step and froze. Was that her
decision then? To throw everything away because Gilthanas had come back with the right
words and actions? Was she willing to throw away everything she'd accomplished simply
because he'd learned to say "I love you" to her as a Dragon? She stopped, sinking down to
the bed, her head in her hands. She was so confused. Her heart was begging her to go to
him, to see him and hold him. Begging to be loved again, the way he'd first loved her
underneath the waterfall on Ergoth. It had been so many years ago, and yet it felt like
yesterday. The hurt, the pain, the joys were all as fresh in her mind as if they'd
happened the night before.
She swallowed hard and lay back against the covers, turning her face from the
window. Tomorrow she'd have to make a decision regarding her future. For now she would
try and get some rest. She had a feeling she'd need it for the confrontation that was
inevitable.