A/N: Sorry it took so long for this chapter. I got stuck on one particular part and now I'm afraid I'm going to get stuck again. I don't want to do this.
No one asks questions. No one asks where Lani is – it's a question that is answered quickly with just a glance at Salamander's face. Even Admes – who usually will ask questions that even Neumond would fret over the wording of – even he doesn't ask. He simply greets Salamander, takes one look at his friend, and then touches his shoulder and asks him how he feels about training a group of under sixteen year olds.
Gila looks vicious when he realizes it. That's the thing – they don't ask but Salamander can see them realize what she's done. He knows what Gila's thinking when he sees that Lani isn't around, isn't going to be around – will never come around again. He mutters something about bonding with cowards and then gives Salamander his orders for the day.
It goes on like this for about three days. He wakes up, gets his commands and issues them to the young kids who are training. They've pulled any women willing or able to fight out onto the fields and now would be the greatest time for Lani to be here. But she isn't. She's probably to the end of the pass – she might even be moving around the army below, thinking about how lucky she is she cut out now instead of waiting to face those vicious spears and coordinated attacks.
Salamander feels himself start to shake and punches one of the young kids too hard, but doesn't apologize.
In the week that they all realize might very well be their last, Salamander decides he's going to die. It's a calm, cool realization and he doesn't try to fight it anymore. He will live this last week knowing that he's about to die and will act accordingly.
As if they have control over the weather – which has been clear for a very long time – deep, dark clouds roll over them and snap lightning tongues at them, growling lowly with thunder and getting ready to burst.
In the evening, as Gila leaves, they open and it begins to pour – heavy torrents that threaten to wash them away before any army can even reach them. Salamander hopes that Lani at least made it out of the mountains or has some sort of rain gear for herself, instead of her normal, skimpy outfit. He berates himself for giving a shit still, even though she left, and steps outside to smoke some of his stowed away, special occasion galenas. The matches are almost drenched but he manages to light up and takes a long, deep breath.
A light flickers, and he turns his head, staring out into the distance. The bad feeling groans to life and he suddenly realizes, They're here, we overshot it.
A flash of light from some lightning calms him – it's not anyone. It's just a light in a hut in the distance. He takes a long drag and blows out the smoke slowly. He needs to relax. It's all been planned out – fate has already written the book that they're reading. The events are set in the pages and will not change. Take it as it comes and stop thinking with your head, Salamander.
Another flash and that hut looks far away. Too far away.
He realizes it in a few seconds and takes one last drag before tossing the roll away, moving quickly over the muddying ground. Thirteen paces and he's reached the dirt and gravel mixture that denotes the end of the main street, and thirty paces after that and he's at the fences around the fields. Another couple of dozen steps and he thumps a fist against the door, once, twice, three times and –
"I wondered when you'd come," Lani mumbles when she opens the door. She looks tired. The first thing he thinks is that she hasn't slept. Black rings under her eyes that weren't visible before make a stark contrast against tan skin, and her eyes look dull and bright at the same time; a classic sign of insomnia..
She doesn't have any of her stuff – maybe she just forgot something.
"What are you doing here?" he asks, not meaning to sound so annoyed but not really caring.
"...I got almost all the way down and realized that there's no way I was going to be able to get around the army. It's... It's huge, Red." She looks at him, "A lot more than you guys have. And... Well, I couldn't go around it. And I was going to try going through it, at night, you know?" She shakes her head. "But then I realized – if I went through, I'd do it taking off heads. Because I'm not going to just slip through and let them come slaughter any of you guys." She shrugs, "I guess I just have ties here, don't I?" Lani frowns, locking eyes with him. "Remember what I said about you being crazy to try and fuck me, Red?"
"...Yeah," he mutters – he's not really thinking about that, he's stopped thinking really...
"You'd have to be even crazier to call me a coward," she hisses and then attacks him. Most of her weight is behind her when she shoves him and then socks him in the jaw – he tastes blood and so, rightly, he punches her back. He doesn't hit her face, of course, but he gets her in the stomach and swings her around when she tries to attack again, this time with her nails. With a thud, she hits the wall and then comes at him – he grabs her and slams her back against the wall again, breathing hard because goddamn she moves fast in such a small place.
She winces slightly when his hand finds the small of her back – the tattoo, mustn't forget the tattoo. "I'm not a coward," she mutters, staring at him with this unreadable look on her face – her hair's all in her eyes but she looks so...
"They're coming soon. I can get you past them, if you want to leave. You give me the word and-"
"No," she cuts him off, voice low and heated. "No. I've got ties here, now, Red, and I'm not going to run off like some stupid Alexandrian wench."
He smirks, "Stay and fight like an Alexandrian soldier, then?"
"No," she says, again. "No. I'm going to stay and fight like the fearsome bounty hunter I am. I'm going to stay and fight like you. Fucking coward, not running after me." She puts her hands to his sides and brings him close, leaning fully against him. He tightens his grip on her back, moving away from the tattoo and up along her spine. "What did you think I was going to do, castrate you?"
"You've threatened it before," he replies.
"Red, I couldn't threaten you enough to keep you away for long."
Thoughts run through his head – half-moon marks, warrior goddesses, cowards and bounties – and neither of them are quite sure who moves first, just that they both meet somewhere in the half-way and though it's not really his thing, he doesn't feel at all put off by Lani forcing her mouth against his. After all, Salamander always knew she was one of those leading-types, and he always knew that he wouldn't settle for anyone less.
Salamander has never been good with emotions, and because of that he's never been very good at reading people. He doesn't know how long Lani's been wanting to do this – which was when he had first ordered her to get him a drink, almost three or four months ago. He doesn't know what the hell Lani's been feeling up till now – mostly pride and lust and a little of the other L-word no one likes using when their reputations are on the line. But he knows that right now she wants him in the worst way and, quite seriously, he wants her probably twice as bad.
There's no romance to their movements, no roses or pet names – just movement; frantic, heated. Hands fumbling for cloth knots and pant laces, mashing mouths together and forcing back groans because neither of them want to come out on the bottom so neither will come out on top. Salamander wants to say something, but the mood doesn't call for it – everything he wants to say could be just as easily conveyed through hands, through haphazardly discarding clothes left and right and through-
Lani pushes against him and they move backwards as one, Salamander's calves hitting the rickety wooden bed and so he sits; Lani's still pushing at him so he lies down – she half-straddles him, leaning over so her bare breasts rest against hardened muscle and she rocks her hips back, biting her lip and closing her eyes and looking so utterly perfect–
She's the world's most beautiful bounty hunting warrior goddess and fuck it, he doesn't care if he sounds horribly saccharine and poetic, it's the damned truth.
Salamander groans and feels half-moon marks forming brutally on his shoulders. He brings a hand up and runs it through her hair even as they move together in awkward, animal unison. Still no real noises – they're just gasping against each other, sliding in and out of rhythm only to finally get it in that one final moment –
Lani decides to call and lets out a low, quiet cry that Salamander wouldn't have thought could come from – but he's not thinking, not with Lani still pressing against him, shuddering and shaking in his hands but not scared, not cold, not – not –
He groans silently against the base of Lani's neck and leaves a mark when he bites slightly to keep from actually saying something, from doing something he will definitely regret.
There's nothing particularly beautiful about the afterglow, but Lani's hands move against him, digging around him and managing to pull the blanket up and over them both, mumbling something against his chest and then keeping still, letting Salamander decide if he's going to stay or go – push her off or just take it like a man.
He nods in response to the muffled statement and runs a hand through her hair again, getting stray strands out of his face and not really worrying about why or who or what or when.
His mind is blank – not desperately blank because he wants to forget, but just... soft. As if everything's decided to lay off him for the night and come back tomorrow. Nothing like how it had been with one of Eki's ex's, who had a lot more strings attached and was a lot easier to get into bed.
His hand touches bloody skin and pigments and he shakes his head, wondering...
The drums have become a common noise for the morning, and so Salamander has timed his sleep so that he can wake up with the first call for training.
When they begin their normal rhythm, he is already starting to feel his limbs return from sleep and along with the comfortably normal tingling comes an unfamiliar weight against his chest.
He's not used to waking up with people around him – his father is usually out before the first drum-roll – but it's not really that awkward, with Lani. She's laying so still against him that he thinks, for a moment, that she might be –
"I can feel you thinking," she mutters against his chest, "Stop it."
He lets out his breath and sits up, taking her with him and causing her to punch him in the shoulder. "You fucking asshole," she groans, "Go back to sleep!"
"I have to go."
Now Lani hears the drums too, because her eyes open and now she's sliding away from him. "Fuck. I..."
"Forgot," Salamander fills in her unfinished sentence, "I did too. Come on, you'll have to show your face."
"Your father is going to kill me, isn't he?"
"Probably." Salamander stands and stumbles over unpacked items and grabs at their clothes, throwing Lani's to her haphazardly. "You can make up your cowardice by helping me train the runts."
"I'm not a fucking coward," she snarls viciously, pulling on her ratty top and standing to redo her skirt. "Don't call me that."
"I'm not going to play around with you," he responds easily, "You were a coward and you ran. Just because I slept with you doesn't mean I'm going to smooth over things."
She sighs and runs a hand through her hair, trying to flatten it closer to her head and keep it from looking so strangled. "I figured that."
"So why are you being stupid? Let's go. They'll be waiting."
Salamander is halfway to the door when Lani reaches out and grabs his wrist.
"I have a bad feeling, Red."
All of last night's feelings come back to the Eidechsen and he suddenly feels as if he should be sitting down. He's had the bad feeling for a very long time now, ever since they had first found out about the approaching army of zealots intent on taking their land.
"You're just imagining shit," he growls lowly and leaves the hut. A few muffled curses and then Lani is quickly coming after him, matching his pace and carrying her axe as if she's waiting for someone to jump out and attack her.
The way some of the Eidechsen are looking at her gives both of them plenty reason to keep on guard, and Salamander straightens his posture and gives a few of his peers a "Try It I Dare You" look.
Admes is in front of them now, arms crossed and a completely benign smile on his face. His "I Knew It" look is enough for both of them and he simply nods, tilting his head and saying that their group is forming over there, so let's go.
There's a sudden sound from their left and Lani spins, holding her axe up and catching Ond's claws against it, eyes narrowing even as he shouts obscenities at her.
"You defile my life's work by running as a coward would, and come back as though nothing happened!" he snarls, pulling back and clenching his fist, allowing his claws to go ramrod straight. "You useless Alexandrian-"
There's a sudden whoosh as Lani swings her axe, intending to land a decapitating blow to the old Eidechsen's neck, but a gloved, clawed hand grabs it and risks breaking the tough leather, halting the swing and saving Ond's life.
Gila glares from Lani to Ond, eyes burning even when his voice is level. "Ond. She had no ties to us when she left. Things like this are not worth fighting over right now." Ond moves to make an argument against Gila, but is cut off with a firm, "Settle your grievances afterwards."
The old Eidechsen draws back and hisses under his breath, before turning and stalking away into the suddenly thick crowd. Lani doesn't move her axe and Gila, therefore, doesn't move his claws.
"I do not know why you left," he says, voice very quiet now and some of the fire out of his eyes. "I do not want to know. But so long as you are here, and you are making yourself useful, I don't care." He steps back, "You're part of our strongest offense and our strongest defense. Do you understand what you've put us through by leaving?"
She lowers her axe but not her eyes. "Yes."
"Do you understand that if you leave us under dire circumstances again, I will personally hunt you out and my hand will hold the blade that cuts you down?"
She shakes her head. "I won't allow that," she growls, jerking a thumb to Salamander, who frowns but doesn't say anything because it's not his place. "He's the only one of you that I'll let kill me. So don't fucking try it, you hear me!" She snarls the last bit to the gathered crowd, and some of the younger Eidechsen pull back in surprise.
Gila's eyes narrow but he nods in affirmation. "Admes," he says, not looking away from the girl in front of him, "Assign your students between the three of you. I expect results, today."
He turns and stalks off and Admes looks at Lani in confusion. "You just went against Gila?" he asks, "Even Neumond himself wouldn't do that."
"He's just like Salamander," she responds, suddenly much more at ease now that everyone's backing away from them. "Only, he's more uppity. Come on."
Admes looks to Salamander as Lani starts off in the direction they had previously been walking in, but the redhead merely shrugs and nods at Lani's back. Admes shakes his head and follows the woman, deciding to keep his comments to himself – which works out well enough for Salamander.
Later, no one would be able to figure out what had happened.
The sun was hidden behind thick clouds once again, which were threatening rain and at some points actually did let loose short torrents of water that created a muddy, soaking field for practicing in. Salamander pushed his students harder, with the soft ground creating more hazards and proving how under-trained the kids were.
Everything went at normal speed – hours passed as hours would and seconds as seconds.
But he feels it suddenly slow – everything. The air, the wind, the raindrops beginning their descent to the earth below – they all slow to a near stop as he hears the piercing noise of trumpets.
Brass instruments meaning foreign troops echo throughout the entire valley and they all, almost as one, come to a halt, finishing solid moves but not continuing, most staying in defensive positions or sliding into them.
Lani pulls her axe away from one of the students – she had been training him with it in case he found her or one of the mercenaries dead on the ground – and turns easily, muscles tightening and eyes searching out the enemy.
Salamander feels a hand on his shoulder and looks at Admes, who is suddenly grim – too grim, much more dark than the other had ever seen his friend. He hears his father shouting out orders, telling the students that training's over and now it's time to actually do something useful.
He hears a panicked murmur run through the kids behind him, and then, as one, they kneel to the ground and pick up in complete unison:
"Neumond, geh voran, auf der Lebensbahn."
Lani looks confused by the words and so Salamander repeats it in Alexandrian tongue, loud for everyone to hear, "Neumond, still lead on, till our rest be won."
"Und wir wollen nicht verweilen..."
"And although the way be cheerless..."
"Dir getreulich nachzueilen."
"We will follow, calm and fearless."
He doesn't bother speaking the last lines in Alexandrian and simply completes the hymn in his own language:
"Führ uns an der Hand, bis ins Vaterland."
Lani doesn't speak and though the murmuring has died down slightly, the air is alive again.
The drums pick up suddenly, responding to more trumpet calls, and Salamander clenches his fist.
"Guide us by thy hand – to our Fatherland."
Almost exact copy of "Jesu, geh voran," by Ludwig von Zinzendorf, translated by Jane Borthwick. Exchanged Jesu for Neumond.
I meant that bit to be past tense, too, so please don't correct it.