When Eyes Meet Eyes…

Part 3

Dusk.

With a soft moan, Moonshade woke up to the moonlight. She blinked a few times to adjust to the light and sat up. She looked down when she felt something move on her lap. On it laid an arm and when she looked aside, she saw Strongbow lying next to her face down. His face was covered with his long auburn hair and she felt his soft breath against her hand. Moonshade smiled and seized a lock of the surprisingly silky hair in her hand and brought it to her nose. The scent was soft and she could detect a small fragrance of fresh wood and leaves overpowered by the scent of wolf.

Strongbow was most wolf-like of all Wolfriders, always acting on instinct, despite his intelligence to be able to think as an elf. But she could see beyond that and see the true beauty of his soul. And there was of course the fact that he was gorgeous. She could look at him forever and still admire the view of him. Moonshade sighed and went back into a lying position and snuggled against him. It had been the most perfect day of her life and the most uncomfortable one too. She had no idea what he would like and just tried some things. Luckily, he liked all she did -or pretended to like it- and it became everything she wanted after all. She sighed repeatedly, not getting enough of stroking his hair and smelling the scent of it.

Suddenly Strongbow moved his arm away from her lap, turned slowly on his back and removed the hair from his face. He yawned and looked around as if he didn't know where he was. Then he looked right into Moonshade's eyes. The tanner smiled brightly, not only to reassure him, but also because she thought he looked awful cute when he had just awoken.

"Did you sleep well, beloved?" She asked softly, not sure, inside, whether to call him that. But it had left her lips before she could even think about it. He didn't seem to mind. A trace of a smile passed his lips and eyes, still weary, seemed to sparkle a little. **Not much,** was his brief answer. Moonshade felt suddenly a bit uncomfortable and looked down to the furs. It had been because of her he hadn't been able to sleep longer. And she didn't want to make him moody in the early night.

Strongbow saw her discomfort and added quickly. **But it's no big deal.**

"Are you sure?"

**Yes, I'm sure.** He seized her hand and held between both his hands. **You don't have to be afraid. I won't hurt you.** He lifted her chin with his left hand, looked into her big purplish orbs and stroked her cheek with the other hand. **I have chosen to accept, and that's what I do now. You know I can't live without you and you know you can't live without me.**

Suddenly Moonshade wrapped her arms around him and buried her head in his chest. "I know," she said, between sobs. "But why do I feel like losing you immediately again?" The archer nodded understandingly and gently stroked her hair. "Anything could happen if you go hunting again."

**But nothing will.** She looked up to her lifemate, tears rolling down her cheeks. **I promise nothing will happen.**

"But what if…?"

**No what if.** His mental voice was like a stern wall in her mind and his face was drawn into a frown. **No what if.** This time it sounded somewhat gentler. **There's nothing to be afraid of.** He looked at the tanner and felt some sympathy for her. Everything he had done, he had done for her. The last day was for her. He had known how hard it was for her and how uncomfortable she had felt when they joined. He, too, had been uncomfortable at first, but that was over quickly. He still didn't love her. He didn't have the feeling. He knew she was hopelessly in love with him and he thought it was rather nice, but there were no feelings of love for her. He couldn't explain it, even if he wanted to.

He broke away from her and stood up to get dressed. Moonshade watched him and sighed inwardly. He was so sweet and so understanding. The High Ones couldn't have chosen a better lifemate in her opinion. She didn't know if he would become her lifemate, but at least did he have to raise their child together with her. She really looked forward to it… already!

He broke her out of her reverie when he touched her shoulder. **You should get up too.** Moonshade nodded and stood up as well to get dressed. While she was doing that, she saw Strongbow looking around in search of something.

"Are you looking for something?" She asked. He sighed and shrugged. **Have you seen my headband?** Moonshade shook her head and looked around herself. But there was no sigh of it. "I don't know where it can be, you had it last night."

**Yeah, I know. Ah well. Maybe I'll find it later on.** He frowned slightly and walked out of the den without goodbye, Moonshade still standing half-dressed.

And suddenly she felt all alone again, as if the last day had never happened.

*****

The two moons were on top when the hunters returned. Everyone was very hungry and ate their meal as if it were their last.

Moonshade couldn't keep her eyes from Strongbow. He seemed so handsome in the pale moonlight, and without his headband, he looked even better. Woodhue had teased him all night about, because he knew what had happened between the newly recognized couple. But when Strongbow didn't react at his follies, the fun was over soon.

Now they were just eating as if nothing had happened. Strongbow and Woodhue were best friends, no one could come between them, not even love- or lifemates. It was a good friendship, and they knew each other's soulname. More soulbrothers than friends. Everyone knew that. But Strongbow always pretended as if Woodhue wasn't anything more than a bug and the other way around. Moonshade had to smile about the thought.

Woodhue looked up to look at Moonshade. He had known she was watching the archer and couldn't help but smile. The tanner's face colored a pinkish shade of red and she looked away. The brown-haired elf sighed inwardly and went on with eating.

"So, you still don't want to tell me what happened between you two?" Woodhue asked between bites. Strongbow shrugged and looked at him for a brief moment. **Not much to tell,** He tried, but he knew Woodhue knew he was lying. But it did work, because his friend didn't push further into the subject.

They were silent for a long moment, both busy with finishing their meal. It had been a good hunt. Many ravvits were caught and even a deer and two bristle-boars. Strongbow had caught the deer. The archer's aim was always effective. Never in his life he had missed his target, and most of the time his arrows were deadly. So had it been this time.

Suddenly Woodhue sat up straight and had a mischievous twinkling in his eyes. "So, um, this, uh, you know, this, uh, recognition. Does this mean you are, you know, going to live together?" Strongbow almost choked in the lump of food he had just put in his mouth and Woodhue had to give him some small slaps on the back to prevent it from really happening. **What?!** Strongbow sent, with disbelief. "Yeah, I mean, I guess you'll become lifemates, right? At least, that's the usual thing to happen."

**I won't be lifemates with anyone. And certainly not because of recognition.**

"Well, you should tell Moonshade. I think she's counting on it."

**I don't love her. Why should I become lifemates with her. That's a stupid thing to say.** The archer sat back to a tree and closed his eyes. **I'm not going to live with her just because we happen to have recognized each other.**

"You know what my friend?" Woodhue said, shaking his head slowly. **What?**

"You are so stubborn."

**Tell me something I don't know.** A smile crossed over Woodhue's face again. He had known all along what would happen if he would ask that to the archer. And though he found if funny, he still felt some pity for Moonshade. She would be so disappointed and so sad about it, and Woodhue was afraid she couldn't take it. He was afraid she would fall apart from the inside. But Strongbow was always Strongbow and never in any way subtle. Just the plain truth, always. Woodhue, himself could handle such things, but he was afraid Moonshade could not.

"What will happen when you'll tell her you won't be moving in with her and be her lifemate?" Woodhue asked, his voice full of concern now, and the twinkling gone from his eyes. **Nothing will happen. Why should I tell her. She already knows.**

"Well, whatever happened last day, I don't think she has the same idea as you have."

**Ah, no. She knows I don't love her.**

"No, my friend, I don't think she does." He pulled the archer into a sitting position and forced him to look at the brown-haired beauty. "Look at her, Strongbow. Just look how she behaves and how childishly happy she looks. Can't you see from that, she's in love with you?" Strongbow didn't say a word. He just looked at Moonshade. Deep in his heart he saw the real soul of her, which made her more beautiful than ever with her dark, brown and curly hair and the purplish, big and bright eyes. And he had seen the loving side of her that very day in her den, where they had joined. But he also saw the annoying, little shy girl who was a bug to him for long seasons. Now the girl had grown into a woman, which he had failed to notice and came too suddenly.

Woodhue stared at his friend for a long moment, before calling him back from his trance. "Do you see what I mean?" He said. But the archer didn't react. He kept looking to Moonshade, lost in thoughts.

"Strongbow!" Woodhue said, now with more volume. Strongbow looked at him, startled. Then he closed his eyes and stood up. "What is it?" Woodhue tried. But Strongbow shook his head. **I don't know,** was the answer and the mental voice sounded shocked and frightened, something Woodhue had never felt before in his friend.

Suddenly Strongbow turned and walked away, leaving Woodhue to his own thoughts. Woodhue couldn't figure out what happened in the other one's mind. But he knew it was no good. It couldn't possibly be.

To Be Continued…