Passion:
Shakira bustled around the hut taking out jars and pots and putting herbs and oils together, creating healing products and beauty products. She put a mint leaf inside the crushing pot and added some water before pouring in almond skins and blood of a passionfruit leaf.
She flicked her hair from her eyes and heard footsteps coming into the hut. She looked up and stoped mixing the ingredients and felt herself blush.
'Hello,' she greeted the man with the tattoos.
Her eyes looked closely at his face and felt her heart pang. He looked some much like Tristan. He even had the same lips. He stepped in further into the hut and stoped a few feet away from her.
'Shakira?' he asked dumbly.
Her jaw dropped and tears came to her eyes before she finally realised who he was.
'Tristan?' she asked as tears flowed from her eyes.
He took her into his arms and hugged her tightly and slowly she brought her hands up and clutched the back of his tunic. He buried his face in her neck as she cried with relief. And so they stood from what felt like an eternity.
Slowly she pulled back and looked at him as he touched her cheek softly. 'I thought you were dead,' she said through her tears.
'What?' he asked her, utterly confused, 'Who told you that?'
'Elen,' she said, 'Two years ago.'
'Two years!' he said, in a voice, which for him would mean, he was surprised.
'You have no idea what I went through,' she told him. 'If it weren't for Jet I would have wasted away.'
Tristan hugged her to his chest before kissing her desperately. More tears flowed from her eyes as his tongue entered her mouth and his hands roamed her body as if he had never felt it before.
0-0-0
Jer sat beside Lancelot with a smile. 'I know I didn't put that smile on your face,' Lancelot told her.
She laughed slightly. 'No, I'm sorry to say. She'll be so happy. Depression hit her hard when she was told he was dead. I had to bring her away from Sarmatia because she needed to start over. But she didn't. She cried every day for; even I don't know how long, including today.'
'Wow,' said Galahad, who had just been filled in on the latest.
Jet nodded. 'And she'll get no sleep tonight, if you know what I mean.'
Lancelot grinned. 'Is this Tristan's sister?'
'I was thinking the same thing,' Bors gruffed. 'Yeh' nothing like yeh' brother lass.'
'I know,' she said proudly.
Arthur sat down beside Dagonet and introduced himself to Jet.
'Where is Tristan?' asked the commander looking around.
'With his wife,' Dagonet said coolly.
'What?' asked Arthur thinking he had heard wrong.
Everyone laughed and they began to tell him the story.
0-0-0
Flashback:
Shakira was on all fours tending to her patch of herbs. She had mud smeared over her nose and cheeks and her hair was pulled back from her face loosely.
Tristan watched the beautiful sight with a smile on his lips. All the men in the village would give their right arm to marry her. It was her beauty before anything else they saw, but once all of them had begun to know her, she had a fire inside of her. But such kindness. She never befriended someone because they were the most popular in the village. She was a friend to everyone and cared for everyone.
Tristan stoped right behind her and she stoped working and turned to him with an accusing smile on her lips. 'Are you looking for something?'
'Yes,' he said calmly, 'you.'
She put down her small pick and stood up before him. 'And why are you looking for me?'
Tristan laughed slightly when he saw the dirt on her face. 'You are beautiful.'
'I don't think so,' she said, 'I am covered in mud and look like a mess.'
'No,' he said again in a calm voice, 'mud doesn't cover beauty.'
Shakira blushed furiously and looked to the ground. 'If you say so,' she said trying to hide her smile.
'Come,' he said taking her hand.
'Where are we going?' she asked as she followed him.
'To the waterfall,' he said, 'I'm going to give you a bath and then I'm going to as you something.'
'What?' she asked curiously.
'Later.'
End of Flashback:
0-0-0
'Please Tristan,' she begged as her hands clutched the furs beneath her. She could feel ripples flowing through her every time he filled her.
'What my love?' he asked her in her ear. She moaned loudly and bit her lip as he kissed her neck.
'S…stop teasing me,' she asked in a pleading voice, 'I can't take it.'
'I love you,' he said before making her come quickly.
Shakira screamed as her eyes opened wide and flashes filled her mind:
Hundreds of brown leaves were falling……a close up of the tattoo on her shoulder…..the day she married Tristan…….the day he left……Elen telling her he was dead…..stabbing a Nomad in the heart……sending of a leaf to Tristan……crying……falling to her knees and screaming of her pain…..hugging Jet.
She finally managed to let go of her memories and was breathing heavily under Tristan who was looking at her in shock. 'Are you ok?'
'Yes,' she nodded, 'I still do it you know.'
'Witchcraft?' he asked her as he moved her damp hair from her forehead.
'Uh ha,' she said. 'I tried to run away from it. I didn't want to know it anymore after….,' she stoped a bit her lip.
'You thought I was dead,' he finished for her.
'Yes,' she said. 'It always managed to come back to me. I needed it from time to time.'
'Don't ever give it up,' he said lovingly. 'We will never tell. You are amazing my love. It is not a hard secret to bear.'
'Did you see any of that?' she asked.
'Yes,' he said. 'I suppose because we were…..joined…..at the time.'
She laughed and blushed before kissing him lightly. 'Don't ever leave me Tristan.'
'Never,' he said before looking to the floor and untying a small satchel from his belt. He opened it and took out three brown leaves that were marked with the Sarmatian symbol for love. 'I kept all of them. I have many back at the wall. Ten years and you have been sending these to me. And you thought I was dead for two?'
'I didn't have the heart to stop,' she said as more tears came to her eyes, 'I would have been like giving in and saying you were dead.'
Tristan put the leaves on the floor and kissed her passionately. 'Gods I love you,' he said huskily.
'I love you more,' she said as she wrapped her legs around his waist.
0-0-0
Flashback:
Shakira emerged from the center of the waterfall and grinned at Tristan who was on the shore. 'You know,' she said as she walked to him, 'I don't know why I let you stay. You see…..I would only ever allow the man I marry to see me…..like this.'
Tristan lifted an eyebrow. 'And have you chosen that man?'
She shrugged. 'Sort of.'
She stoped walking as the water reached the top of her chest and turned around holding out her hand to him. She walked backward a bit more and felt a drying cloth reach her hands. She wrapped the cloth around her body and walked out of the water.
She smiled when she saw Tristan had his back to her and tapped his shoulder. He turned and looked at her closely and she rolled her eyes. 'Relax Tristan,' she said, still smiling.
'I am relaxed,' he replied looking at her middle with a calculating expression.
'What?' she asked. 'Don't look so shocked. What did you want to ask me?'
'Will you marry me?' he blurted as he just looked up from her hips.
'What?' she asked as a grin spread over her face.
He kicked himself for asking her and sounding so desperate. 'Marry me,' he asked in a demanding voice.
'Why should I marry you?' she asked with a cheeky grin. 'I don't know if we are suited.' She playfully put on a dreamy face and he lowered his face to hers and looked into her dark eyes.
'I'm asking you woman,' he said. 'Now give me the answer I want to hear.'
Shakira lifted an eyebrow and clutched the cloth covering her body. She leaned in and kissed him softly. Tristan watched her blankly and pulled her closer to him by the waist. 'Well?'
'I love you Tristan,' she breathed with a grin. 'And I would love to be your wife.'
Tristan smiled widely and picked her up and kissed her passionately as she wrapped her legs around his waist.
End of Flashback:
0-0-0
Shakira was lying in his arms. A content smile passed her lips as she looked out of the window and held his hand, the one that was under her neck. The other was around her waist and holding her hip. He was moulded around her tightly, sleeping contently. And she did not know that this was the first night in 10 years, where he slept the most comfortably.
She felt his lips on her shoulder and she smiled as she rolled over to face him. 'I thought you would sleep longer,' she said smiling at him.
'Why?'
'8 times in one night would make you tired would it not?' she asked feeling herself blush at the thought.
He smiled wickedly. 'Why are you not sleeping?'
'Because I am happy. Happiness gives me energy,' her eyes became sad and she looked away from him, 'energy I did not have for years.'
He kissed her forehead and lifted her chin. He was about to speak when he realised her eyes had green in them. They were brown and green. He snapped out of his trance and looked at his wife who was looking at him with amusement shining in her eyes.
'I still do that don't I?' he asked her.
'Yes,' she laughed, 'I never understood why. I love you so much.'
0-0-0
That day, Shakira was introduced to the Knights. Instantly they bombarded her with questions on Tristan and what it was like being married to him when he was so quiet. She laughed and answered all of them happily. Gawain told her she was not what he expected her to be, which Arthur agreed with.
Jet stood beside Lancelot happily watching her sister, laughing and smiling happily. It was the first time in more than two years. The whole village noticed her change, and immediately begun to realise why Shakira was the solemn quiet person they thought her to be.
That afternoon, Shakira ventured into the woods. She followed a calling. It could not be heard by human ears. It was in her mind. Someone was calling her, and as she did every other time she'd heard this, she followed.
'Merlin,' she said as she walked up to the Woad leader. 'You call me again.'
'Child,' he said, before putting a hand on her arm, 'Happiness fills me knowing that you are once again reunited with your love.'
'Thankyou,' she smiled.
'Once again, my heart saddens to say, I call you for your help. Not help with your gift, help by your sword. Your skills are beyond anything I have seen. I ask you use it to help us,' he said calmly.
'How can I assist? My husband is with me now. I do not wish to leave him,' she said.
'Your husband will be leaving within a few passing days to go to the shores and accompany a Roman noble to Hadrian's Wall, along with the rest of the Knights,' Merlin said calmly. 'Of course you will go with him, but on your journey back, their will be an attack. Kill all of them.'
'Who Merlin?' she asked.
'Those who attack,' he replied, 'You will know them, when you see them.'
'Alright,' she said reluctantly, 'I will do as you ask. How can I reach you again?'
'You will know. Listen….the way you always do.'
0-0-0
'You forgot to push up your cleavage,' Jet snapped at the girl beside her who was flirting with Gawain. 'Don't forget to flick your hair.'
She girl scowled and walked off.
'Jet!' Shakira said coming out of the trees. 'I cannot believe you! When you push up your cleavage you bend over slightly!'
Jet looked relived and laughed along with Lancelot and Gawain.
'Where were you?' Jet asked her.
'Doing the thing,' she said calmly. 'Are you coming this time? Or staying here?'
'Of course I'm going with you,' Jet said in a hurt voice, 'besides….the thing what was it about?'
'Nothing much. More killing to be done,' Shakira said not wanting to say too much in front of the Knights.
'You love killing don't you?' Jet asked her.
'Like husband, like wife,' Gawain said.
'Exactly,' Shakira smiled.
'Yeah,' said Jet, 'She's the perfect blood spiller. She would never pass the chance to slit a few throats.'
As she finished speaking Tristan walked forward eating an apple. 'Who?'
'Your wife,' Jet said, earning a glare from Shakira who picked up a 10 month old baby who had just crawled to her. 'Just like you,' she sighed, 'she loves killing.'
'So do you,' Shakira said as she cooed at the baby. 'You've done your share of blood spilling.'
'I've decided to retire from cutting of heads and enjoy my life, surrounded by love and romantic men,' Jet said with a sly grin. 'Besides killing was never my way.'
'Didn't you kill that lover of yours?' Shakira asked, 'What as his name? Potten? Peeten? Polo?'
'Peter,' Jet snapped. 'And only because he decided to try and marry me.'
Tristan lifted an eyebrow and looked at the baby over his wife's shoulder. 'You killed him for that?'
'No, it's complicated,' Jet said. 'Put in some dreams, a knife, unfaithfulness and a very helpful friend….,' she smiled at Shakira smugly, 'and you've hit the spot.'
'You don't want to know anymore,' Shakira told the Knights. 'Like she said, its complicated.'
'She's attached to you,' Jet said, nodding to the baby. 'Imagine trying to leave this place, she'll follow.'
'Ha ha,' Shakira said sarcastically. 'She just likes nice people. Not grumpy people. Don't you Alana?'
'And you've been a ray of sunshine all this time?' Jet asked cocking an eyebrow.
Shakira smiled at her and turned back to the baby.
0-0-0
Author Note: Thankyou KnightMaiden for your review. I have just about finished writing this story so I'll be posting regularly. Thanks to everyone who read the first chapter, I think you'll like the rest.