LindyLou78: Rafer's feelings are quite burried down, actually but he doesn't like showing them. Remember that Merle says that Rafer almost never lets show anything? Well, he is a very guarded up person. But read at the end, there is a little scoop of next chapter.

Kat: First of all, I'm sorry about forgetting your name in ffn is the same that in MCBC... Sorry! Thanks for reading though. I'm updating as soon as I can, but School treatens with not let me do it as offten as I would want.

(Please review, that always guilt trips me into writing)

 EreshkigalGirl: I'm trying! thanks for your advice. It actually made me smile. Here's the update

nineohnine: Big announcement is about to be made!!! So things are about to get good.  About the "devasting joy" is a literary form called "Antitesis" is very common in Romance languages, though maybe is not valid in english, I wouldn't know. I was just thinking in my old literature class and thought of puttin that in.

Hope you like this one.

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WIND WARRIORS

Chapter Five: Hard Liquor

Merle

King Bolek was the most intimidating man I ever knew. Bolek was older than father or King Roger, his hair already turning white but he was strong still. Calling him handsome – or even attractive, even in his youth – would have been a bit too much; but when he walked into a room you looked at him. Bolek's presence was commanding and you knew right away you were in the presence of Power and it was a power you should be afraid of.

So, when that morning, a month after Blake's arrival to Cloud City, I saw King Bolek's personal guard – known as The Dozen – escort him to the palace for a meeting with King Roger, I was glad I had the day off and wasn't required in the palace.

I was crossing the palace gardens to exit the grounds when...

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Rafer

"Buttercup!" I yelled after her. I saw her turn around and wait for me to catch up.

It was a warm spring day, the sky cloudless and blue. Merle was standing in the middle of the garden in her black trousers and white blouse, the sun light highlighting the reds and bronze of her mahogany hair.

When I was close enough for me to hear her without her having to yell she said "What's up, Scummy?" She asked with a bright smile. It had been a bit odd since the night of Blake's Welcoming Dance. Merle and I spend a lot of time together after that night, we still argued a lot but it was different, it was more like playful teasing than serious intent to offend the other.

In a strange way it was like we were a couple of friends who had spent a lot of time together and still did. But we had never really been friends, until now.

"Nothing, sweetie, I was about to eat, I thought you might want to join me since everyone else is locked up in the meeting hall with King Bolek and my father."

"Oh. Why aren't you there?"

"My father didn't think it was wise that I attended such important negotiations like the ones between him and King Bolek; you know how highly my father thinks of me, I guess he didn't want me to screw this up or something. I can't say I exactly regret it. Who wants to be locked up in there?" I nodded towards the Palace at my back.

"Not me, certainly." She said smiling. "So, you were saying something about food?"

----

Nobody

After their meal, Rafer helped himself a glass of brandy, a custom he had acquired in Seaside, since they believed a glass of Brandy after a meal helped digestion. Rafer wasn't sure but he figured a glass didn't hurt anyone.

"You want some?" He offered.

Merle shook her head no, "I never drink hard liquor; I can hardly handle wine."

"Oh, c'mon, take a sip, is just brandy." Rafer said smiling, holding out his glass for Merle to take. Sighing in defeat she took a sip... and found out she rather like brandy.

It started with a glass around two in the afternoon, by eight at night Merle and Rafer had emptied two bottles of brandy, two of whiskey and they were working on one of rum. With half bottle left they irrupted in the kitchen. Since the formal dinner at seven hadn't been served, the servants had already retired for the day.

The looked around for some food leftovers and sat happily in the servant's table in the middle of the enormous kitchen, munching away what they had found.

"I tell you." Merle was saying while they ate an apple pie they had found, well half and apple pie. "I hated it so much, having the hair so short, that since it grew back I have never ever had a bad hair day."

"I really don't know what happened that day. I swear it wasn't my intention to burn it." Rafer said his brow knit in concentration, trying to remember what had happened that day twelve years ago.

"Hey!" Merle half yelled as if suddenly struck by the idea. "Marit told me something the other day... Remember Kevin and George?"

"Spawns of Satan?"

"Yeah... Marit said you were the one who told them to stop bugging me... when they kept calling me names because of my hair. Did you?"

Rafer nodded, and before Merle could ask he explained. "Since it was my fault it was my responsibility, I always take care of my responsibilities, against what my father likes to think."

Merle might have been a little tipsy, okay kind of wasted, but she could still notice it was a sore point the "responsibility" thing between Rafer and King Roger. Without knowing what to do or say, Merle took another sip at the bottle of rum and saw Rafer impatiently run his fingers through his hair. "I really hate this." He said.

"What?" Merle asked passing him the bottle.

"Long hair. It's a major annoyance; I don't know why women put up with having long hair."

"The powers that be made us stronger." She said playfully. "Why do you put up with it?"

"It annoys his majesty." Rafer answered flatly. "But is starting to annoy me too much too."

"I can cut it for you if you want." Merle said brightly and, bumping into more than a few things in her path, looked around for a pair of scissors.

When Rafer saw her approach with the scissors in hand, he started to back away. "Now, why would I let you do it?" he asked.

"Because." Was all Merle said while making him sit down on a chair.

That seemed to be good enough of a reason for him. The bottle of rum from Merle to Rafer and back again a few times while she busied herself cutting here and there, soon a bunch of dark hair was in the floor, the maid was so not going to like cleaning that in the morning.

With only the front left to do, Merle came to stand in front of Rafer. Without really thinking Merle placed her legs at either side of Rafer, straddling him, and sat down.

"I wouldn't sit there if I were you." Rafer said, and his meaning was not lost to Merle.

"Oh, c'mon, you're too wasted to get it up."

Rafer took another swig at the bottle, "Yeah, that's true." He said.

When Merle was done, she started to brush away the hair that had fallen over Rafer's shoulders. She stood up and started to brush the hair from the back of his neck. Only then did Rafer spoke again.

"What?" Merle asked looking down and realizing Rafer head was against her chest, peaking through the opening in the front of her shirt actually. She would have blushed but she was beyond blushing at that point, the sweet alcohol had lowered most of her inhibitions. Merle sat back down in his lap and asked again: "What did you say?"

"I said that you do not wear a corset." Rafer repeated.

"I find them uncomfortable." Merle confessed.

"And they are a devil to take off, trust me. They almost put me out of women the first time I had to take one off."

"Poor you." Merle said drinking the last of the bottle.

"I suffer." Rafer agreed nodding vigorously. Then his gaze fell again in the opening of her shirt. "What color is your breast-band anyway? I didn't quite get a good view..."

-----

Merle

"Merle." I vaguely recognized that voice as Enya's. "Merle, wake up."

"What is it?" I said talking into my pillow... only that it didn't quite feel like my pillow, this one was silky; the one on my bed had a cotton pillowcase.

"Nothing, just thought you might want to know that you dad is looking for you and that is already past noon. Oh, and you're in my room."

"Why am I in your room?"

"Because I found you and Rafer drunk singing in the hallway last night and I figured I better not send you home like that." Enya said in her most hard voice... which would have barely managed to scare a kitten.

"Did I really sing?"

"Oh, yes." Now she sounded amused. "But never mind that. You better go home before your dad finds out."

Enya patted me on the head and a few moments later I heard the door open and close.

I opened one eye and I knew that had been a mistake.

Blinding pain shot through my skull and I vowed never to drink again. And then I started to feel nauseated, so I ran for the bathroom... and threw up for all I was worth. While I was with my head bend over the toilet I felt someone grabbing my head and holding it back. I knew it was Rafer somehow though I hadn't look at him and he hadn't spoke.

"I was sure I had chewed that." I blurted out before starting to puke again. Once I was finally done I straightened up and looked down. "Did we eat sausages?"

Rafer let go of my hair. "Apparently so." He said, though he was smiling he looked a bit worse to wear. I got up and started to wash my mouth. I felt like crap... worse than crap and the blinding headache I was having didn't help matters one single bit.

"In the future, whenever I said I want a drink, remind me of this moment, would you?" I asked to Rafer.

"Here," he said handing me a glass full of what looked like cold tomato soup. "Let me introduce you to Mary. Bloody Mary."

"Mary? This is tomato soup."

"Is tomato juice, not soup. And believe me, Mary is your friend."

I drank the stupid thing, why, I didn't know... last time I had drank anything he had offer me I had ended...well... puking my insides out.

"Now, come. You'll feel better after breakfast."

"I should go home."

"Breakfast first." He said, for someone who looked as bad as I felt he was pulling off quite a commanding voice. "Look, as someone who has been in this situation before, I know what to do. Think of my as your spiritual guide through you first ever hangover."

Rafer caught my hand and started to pull me outside the bathroom and Enya's bedroom. I slid my fingers between his and he gave my hand a little squeeze. As we walked from the fifth floor to the dining room at ground level I noticed something. "I like your hair." I said.

"You should. You cut it."

"I did?" I asked and he nodded. "How do you know? I don't remember."

"I don't know how I know... I guess is how I also know that your breast-band is light blue."

I looked down and peeked underneath my shirt. "Looks like you're right." I murmured

Rafer just smiled as we passed by some of the maids they looked at us funny, probably surprised we weren't biting our heads off or something. But still, I couldn't help to ask: "Did we... Did we do something last night? Like, I don't know, run around naked?"

Rafer looked thoughtful for a moment. "I think I would remember if you had run around naked."

"Always so charming." I grumbled.

Rafer just smiled and we sat down and wolfed down our breakfast, though it was well past noon. When all the food had been cleared I felt much, much better.

"Now, go home and get some sleep. You should feel like new tomorrow." Rafer said was we stood up from the table. "Oh, wait for me to change and I'll walk you home." He said. Since I didn't know if Marit was home and dad was probably still stuck in the meeting with King Bolek, I decided to wait for him. We walked back to his room and he was about to go inside when suddenly, just like the night of the "Truth or Dare", he pin me to the door...

And just like that night, he kissed me.

I can't say I resisted. In fact, I kind of melted into the embrace he had me in. It was nice kissing him. Beyond nice, actually. It was also the first time – since I was twelve – he had kissed me without a dare or a debt between us.

We came up for air and were about to start to kiss again when I heard just about the last voice I wanted to hear.

"Merle! Rafer!" I heard my dad yell in a very stern voice... his Warmaster voice.

"Oh, hi daddy!" I said sweetly, trying to extricate myself from Rafer. After a bit of tugging he let me go, though he didn't look pleased by the interruption.

"Good afternoon, Donovan." Rafer said, leaning against his door.

"Rafer." Was my father only greeting. Behind him I saw Enya waving around, trying to get me to understand something without my father knowing. "Enya, you can stop that now." My dad said though and Enya dropped her arms. "You're both needed downstairs. King Roger wishes to meet with you both."

"Does he?" Rafer asked rising and eyebrow. He was pushing it.

"Yes. Now both of you get presentable and meet us down stairs." I was about to say that I had to go home to get presentable but dad cut me. "I'm sure Enya can facilitate you with some clothes so now, move."

I moved alright. My dad was slow to anger but I could totally tell he was about to get there. For one, he never yells at me; and for two, he always calls King Roger just Roger... so I knew something really bad was coming.

I just didn't know how bad it was right then.

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End of chapter Five

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Notes;

Not much to tell, just that I might not be abble to update as soon as I would wish, homework and school conspire against me... (but like I said, review, that always guilt trips me). But I try to not let more than a week pass.

You got my Girl Scout word.

Now, as promised a little scoop.

I opened the door slowly. I didn't want her to yell, I knew Marit was right down the hallway. Earlier, when I had come asking for her, Donovan wouldn't let me see her. I had waited till he had gone out to sneak in.

Merle lay on her side, she was wearing what it looked like a big man's shirt, her dark hair gathered losely at the nape of her neck and the covers of her bed were around her waist.

For a moment a I though she was asleep, until I heard her let out a long sigh. "Dad," Merle said weakly, "please, I'm not hungry and I don't want to see anyone."

"Donovan left the house like ten minutes ago." I said and I saw her shoulders tense, but she didn't turn around.

"Rafer, leave."

"I came to apologize, Buttercup."

"I don't need your apologies, you have made your opinion about me perfectly clear. Now leave."

"I didn't mean it. I was angry, I didn't know what my father had done. I'm really sorry... I-"

"Please..." Merle's voice cut me, "Please, please go. There is nothing for you here. Just go."

:D What do you think?

Just let me tell you guys something. Rafer acts like a real jerk in the next chapter... that's why he has to apologise :D