Hey just a little warning, there is a little hint of slash in this chapter, nothing too bad. I suppose it falls under the category of etc. Skip it if you want it's in the second half, but you'd lose a bit of the story. I've never judged anyone else some people are just made that way. Though I will say if something like that offends you, you should Probably not be reading Fanfiction for Mercedes Lackey, what do you think Vanyel was?
Ch 3
And in tomorrow's
Morning
In the rosy arms
Of dawn.......
Starfire opened his eyes still not fully awake when he heard Ghyr.
:Starfire better: the bird asked.
"Huh" he moved and felt a stab of pain in his ribs, he also felt a warm body against his side :Who: he thought.
:Healer, helped you: Ghyr said.
He looked down and saw a mass of long black hair as he moved she awoke and looked up into his eyes. A green so pale it almost looked silver, he thought absently.
Jade felt the man move, it woke her up from her semi-doze and she looked up startled to see him watching her with pale blue eyes. "Oh, good morning" she said, not knowing what else to say.
He smiled "Good morning and thank you, Ghyr said you are a healer".
"Not really" she said absently still watching his face carefully. "They've just trained me, I have a slight talent for healing" she said.
"Then what are you, if not a healer" he asked.
"I'm a mage" she said sitting up. He could see the robe she was wearing now, a buff color he hadn't seen in the past.
He brushed back his hair, wincing as his hand brushed the bandage. He should be disturbed, usually a mage here meant an enemy trying to pry for treasures that didn't exist or for their charges, the beasts they protected. Sometimes they just wanted the power. But he felt no such inclination from her. He frowned slightly, he shouldn't be feeling anything from her at all Empathy wasn't one of his strong points.
At his wince she brushed the edge of his bandage lightly, checking to see it was staying in place "You've had a bad fall" she said looking back at the man.
He sat up, her cloak falling from him as he gingerly propped himself up against the rock, he looked down at himself in mild surprise.
"I had to cut it off" she said backing up from him and sitting at the other end of the bedroll.
"What" he asked.
"Your shirt, I'm sorry I had to cut it off,.I needed to check you for injuries and wrap your ribs" she said.
"That's alright" he said. He looked around quickly then back to her "Where are we".
"Not too far from where you fell" she said.
He frowned, remembering what had happened yesterday "What are you doing here" he asked her, waiting for her answer.
"I was told that this was a shortcut at least I think it was the shortcut, I could be lost" she said embarrassed to admit that.
He just nodded "Did you see Windsong".
"Who" she asked.
"My partner, we were on patrol" he said.
She shook her head "I only saw you and felt the levinbolt, that's what got my attention" she said.
"Yes, the mage" he said.
"Where is he" she asked.
"He's dead" was all he said.
She bit her lip watching him warily, it was one thing to sleep next to him when he was injured and unaware. She wouldn't have been able to do so with any other man even in these conditions. Not since that night, she thought. The night she had discovered her gift.
If she hadn't been dreaming of him the last year, she probably would have been frightened even now, when he was in no condition to hurt her. But she felt like she knew him and trusted him to some degree. Probably a stupid thing to do, she thought to herself. He's no dream, she was becoming more aware of that as she watched him leaning against the stone watching her, a slight frown on his handsome face.
Great, I've frightened her he thought as he watched her back as far away from him as she could and still be on the bedroll. But the more he thought about it, he didn't think she was truly frightened, it felt more like wariness, and an old habit. He frowned, why was he feeling what she felt. Oh, he thought a suspicion creeping into his mind, no we can't be, he thought. We've only just met. Things like that didn't happen so fast did they, he wondered.
She was beautiful, her face fine boned with high cheekbones that wouldn't have been out of place among his people or the Shin'a'in, though her skin was far too pale and he had never seen eyes quite like hers. Such an unusual color, he thought losing himself in her eyes.
Oh, she hugged herself recognizing the look in his eyes, but this time for some reason, it didn't make her want to run screaming, the way she had always felt before. It was surprising, but she liked looking at him too, something she rarely did. She had found if you didn't look a man in the eyes, they were less likely to bother you.
I wouldn't mind if he bothered me, the thought shocked her out of her trance and she looked down blushing. "Sorry" she mumbled. "I've never seen a hawkbrother before, I didn't mean to stare".
He started and frowned, feeling her withdraw from him, someone has hurt her, he thought to himself. He wished he knew who, he had an impulse to strangle the man. "I was staring too" he said quietly willing her to look at him again.
She glanced up at him through her hair, then looked away again.
He needed to distract her "What does it mean" he asked.
"What" she looked at him in surprise.
"The color of your robes" he said pointing at her robe where she was twisting it.
"Oh" she said opening her hand and smoothing it out. "It's the color of my school".
"School" he asked.
"Yes, I'm a white winds mage" she said.
He frowned, somehow that sounded familiar.
"Most of the mage schools were started by humans, but this one was started by one of the Lizard folk" she said.
"A Heratasi" he asked surprised.
"Is that what they are called".
He nodded, he knew they occasionally produced mages, but he had never heard of one starting a human mage school, they usually avoided outsiders.
"The mage I killed, he wore a dark red robe" he said.
"I'm not sure, but I think that's Blood Mountain" she said with a shiver. "Very bad, they use blood magic" she said.
He had thought he had felt that taint in the bolts, that the mage had flung at him.
Windsong was not happy. Sundance had called for an informal council when he had reported Starfire missing. They had made him go over every detail of how he had lost him and now he had been sent to scrub the dishes because of his conduct. They blamed him for it, he sighed. He knew they were right, he was too impulsive and should have listened to Starfire when he had warned him not to confront the men. He just hated doing dishes, and now who knew when they would let him go on patrol. Sundance had mentioned that it would be good for him to take some remedial lessons from the scoutmaster in discipline. At least they were going to let him join the search party.
Sundance frowned out into the darkness beyond the window of his ekele.
"Stop looking so worried Ashke" Firedance said to the other man.
He looked at Firedance "I don't like it Windsong said there was blood on the ground".
"Starfire can take care of himself, he's been pulling himself out of trouble since he was a small boy. I bet he's lolling around somewhere with the best of all things at his disposal, You remember when he got that bird, he just snuck out without telling a soul and he comes back with a hawk eagle, who ever gets one of those" he said shaking his head.
"I'd think you'd be a little more worried, he's your brother" Sundance said. "Damn we can't really afford to lose another mage".
Firedance walked over to his lover and massaged his shoulders "He's my brother and I know him, besides there 's nothing we can do until morning anyway" he looked at Sundance a gleam in his eyes "There's a lot of time to waste until then, wouldn't you rather do something other than pace and worry" he asked.
Sundance shook his head with a slight grin "You have any ideas".
"I can think of a few" Firedance said hugging the other man.
Starfire closed his eyes and touched head gently.
"Does it hurt" she asked.
"A little bit, what's your name anyway. I can't just call you mage or hey you" he said.
She looked up from rummaging in her pack "Oh, my name's Jade" she said, pulling out a folded piece of paper.
"Mine's Starfire" he said watching as she picked up a pot from the fire and poured hot water over the powder from the packet in a cup, before stirring it. "What's that" he asked.
"Willowbark" she said handing the cup to him, she laughed at the look on his face. "It's not that bad, I've added some other things to it to make it taste better, trust me".
He held the cup smelling the steam rising from it, he blew then sipped, not bad he thought. He looked up to watch her sitting with a pleased expression on her face.
"I do, you know" he said.
"What" she asked.
"Trust you, or I wouldn't be sitting here with you or drinking this" he said raising the cup slightly before taking another sip.
"Oh, I've never poisoned anyone" she said.
"I don't think you could" he said watching her over the edge of the cup. Something he said, bothered her, she was quiet the rest of the day, even when she thanked Ghyr for the rabbit he had caught for their supper.