Another chapter done! I don't own Morrowind, I do own Larka, blah de blah, you get it. Anyway, Read and REVIEW!!!!!!
Ch 12
The soldiers didn't return, and their absence only made Larka nervous and Liam more anxious. Though she did the best she could to appease his fears, she wasn't entirely confident in her assurances.
The love between the pair grew with time, Larka was tentative and unsure but Liam did his best to overcome it, and the pair was soon living together. Though Taka and Krillan were openly talking of children Larka refused flat out to even approach the subject. She felt much too young and restless to even consider it, though she did privately muse on what it would be like to be a mother.
Though Larka was happy and occupied with training the warriors and ruling by Liam's side at councils when it was called for, Krillan could see that she was getting antsy. He approached her one day as she was sparring with Taka in hand to hand. "May I cut in darling?" he asked from a safe distance, you never knew with these two.
"I'm assuming you're not talking to me." Larka said as she ducked a kick from Taka. Taka laughed and backed away with a bow.
"Perhaps we'll continue later? I'm dying to dump you on your ass." Taka said with a grin.
"It's never safe to use the word 'dying' with me; you might get more than you bargain for." Larka said with a grin and wink at Krillan. "Later then." She said to Taka. Krillan stepped into the training area and after a quick peck on the cheek from Taka, took off his boots and brushed the hair out of his eyes. "Are you ready?" Larka asked.
"When fighting with you? Never, but let's begin." Krillan said, coming at her with a jump kick which Larka dodged.
They fought for some time without speaking; blocking, kicking, punching, and dodging. After a time Krillan ventured his thoughts. "I've noticed a slight restlessness in your behavior lately." He said conversationally, blocking one of her punches and aiming a kick at her side.
"You have, have you?" Larka said blocking the kick and spinning around and kicking at Krillan's head.
"Watch it!" he said as the kick whistled over his head. "But yes, I have. I think perhaps you need to get out."
"Well, perhaps I would, if I wasn't so busy." Larka replied, taking advantage of Krillan's lapse in concentration and flipping him over her back. He landed in the dirt with a thud and a grunt. He rolled over and turned swiping Larka's feet out from under her with his leg. She fell and lay in the dirt beside her friend, the pair of them breathing heavily.
"So? Who won?" Krillan asked jokingly. Larka only grunted in reply. "Larka, you know I'm right. You need adventure, you need excitement, and it's the way you are. And I know this situation is all well and good for me but you're different." He said.
"I know, but I have so many responsibilities to the tribe. I probably owe them my life, at the rate I was going." She replied.
"I'm not saying you need to pack up and leave, but there are adventures you could undertake that wouldn't require you to. " Krillan began. "There are Dwemer ruins, Daedric Ruins, bandit caves, you could explore, it wouldn't mean leaving forever." He said. Larka turned on her side in the hard packed dirt to face him.
"You may be on to something Krill." She said with a smile. "Perhaps I'll take your advice, but Liam won't like it, he doesn't want me taking so many risks."
"Since when do you care what anyone thinks?" Krillan said with a sly grin.
"Good point." Larka said with a mischievous smile.
………………..
A week later Larka walked back into the Anazimabrah camp with a healing black eye, burns on her arms and bloodstains on her shirt and pants. She also returned with a Daedric Wakizashi and an assortment of emeralds, rubies, and salts. The expedition has left her with a renewed exuberance and dedication to her duties. Krillan was pleased that the adventure has brought back some of the old Larka, the good parts anyway, though she did recount with pleasure and gory detail the various killing of Daedric creatures and elementals. Liam however was discreetly disapproving of the venture, but he kept it to himself, seeing how positively it affected Larka.
There was still no word from the soldiers and it was a lingering anxiety in the back of everyone's minds. Another week later Larka, accompanied by Taka, left for another exploration, The pair of them coming back with various bruises and cuts, but also with a bounty of enchanted items, gold, and various jewels. Using ebony she had found in the bandit cave, Larka had painstakingly inlayed her black leather bodice with it, elegant purple swirls covered the front of her chest along with the rest of it, making the piece of armor stronger and more durable. If she had any spare time on her hands Larka would be seen in the training area, teaching herself to fight with both hands and soon she had perfected the art of fighting with her silver wakizashi in one hand and her Daedric in the other. No one save, for Taka, Krillan, and occasionally Liam would even attempt to spare with her when she used the lethal combination of both swords, though at times she would go back to her one sword if she wanted a change.
One night as Larka was getting into bed Liam approached her. "Why is it taking theEmpire so long to contact us again? Not knowing our fate is torture." He said. Larka turned to face him and took his hand.
"Darling, it's different beyond the borders of this tribe." She said. "Here we talk about something and it gets done. There, things get talked about and talked about till your ears bleed. I have a feeling we're going to wait a while for an answer."
"I suppose so." Liam said with a sigh.
"Our tribe is the biggest at this point, they probably started with us and are now going on to the rest of them after our refusal. Then if my guess is correct they'll take months working out the details and by then we'll be ready for whatever they throw at us." Larka said encouragingly, giving Liam a hug. He leaned in for a kiss but she backed away. "Well, thanks to you I'm wide awake again; I think I'll go practice my archery." Larka said with a smile. He sighed in resignation and watched her leave the tent.
"So near, yet so distant." he whispered.
…………..
Larka walked into the training area and set up her targets. She wasn't sure why she kept pushing Liam away, and the thought caused her pain. Just as she was about to take a shot a figure walked out of the shadows. It was dark out but Larka knew who it was. "Well, it's been a while since we last spoke Jey, have you something to say?" Larka asked coldly. Jey laughed icily and leaned against a fence post.
"Trouble with the relationship?" she asked bitterly.
"If that were your concern perhaps I'd answer." Larka replied.
"Do you really think he loves you?" Jey sneered. "How could he love someone who doesn't even love him back?" she taunted.
"Go back to your hut Jey; you have no place in the warrior's training area any longer. Need I remind you, you're nothing but a bitter, weak woman who can't stand the fact that there's someone better than you." Larka said with venom.
"You vile whore!" Jey yelled drawing a claymore at her belt and leaping at Larka. Taken by surprise, Larka jumped back in attempt to avoid the blow, dropping her bow and arrow. The blade swept across her chest, leaving a streak of red across her collar bone where it cut. Larka yelled in pain and Jey swung again with lightening speed, not even giving Larka time to draw her tanto. This time Larka turned, the blade cutting diagonally on her shoulder, avoiding a fatal blow. The look of madness in Jey's eyes was frightening as she swung again, this time Larka had gotten her tanto up in time to block it. Blood loss was clouding her vision and she struggled to see,just as Jey pulled back her sword and thrust it at Larka's stomach with a crazed howl.
Larka was swept up in a wave of indescribable pain as the sword pierced her unarmored stomach and sank into her flesh. Then another jolt hit as Jey yanked the sword out. The world swam around Larka, she sank to the ground and the coldness of death crept up her body.
All of a sudden her vision cleared and her body lurched up off its own accord. Her arm rose up and sank her tanto into Jey's heart, cutting off the woman's crazed laugh abruptly as she wrenched the tanto out and gazed at herself in amazement as purple spell fire left her body as the telekinesis spell wore off. She stared in surprise at WhisperWing, who stood beyond the fence, one hand still in a spell casting position, and the other holding an imaginary blade aloft the same way Larka was holding her tanto. The Wise woman's eyes widened as she looked at the crumpled form of Jey and at Larka, whose arm was still being held aloft from the residual magic. Letting out a gasp WhisperWing dropped her arm and rushed to Lark's side as she once more collapsed from her fatal wounds. Larka's vision faded and she could hear the faint sound of a powerful healing spell being performed as she sank into blackness.
She was standing in a black void, there was no ground and no ceiling, whether she was upside down or right side up she couldn't tell, and all was dark. She squinted into the blackness, trying to force herself to see anything in the empty space. "Do not fear my darling." A voice called through the darkness. The voice was warm and kind, making Larka gasp in surprise as a male figure stepped out of the shadows. His form was fuzzy but there was no mistaking who it was. Larka ran into the man's arms and sobbed.
"Is it really you?" she asked her beloved friend and mentor from long ago.
"It is an echo of me, nothing more my child." He said as he held her. "My how you've grown." He said with a smile as he pulled away and looked her up and down.
Larka laughed, "And you look exactly the same. I've missed you so much." She said embracing him again.
"I know, but you'll have to let go. I'm gone and you, you are just beginning you're life. Don't waste it in bitterness and in distance from the people who love you." He said.
"But, but aren't I dead?" she asked in confusion.
"No dearest, you were for a minute or two but soon you'll wake up to your friends and you're loved one. And when you do, remember, it's the only life you'll get for a long time, live it to its fullest. And I'm not supposed to say anything but I will say this, you'll do great things my dear, and when they're over, I'll be right here waiting." He said, kissing her on the cheek and fading away into the blackness.
"Wait! Please!" Larka called to her fading friend.
"Go to Azura's shrine, my dear, and remember above all else, I have faith in you, and I'll always be here waiting." He said as he disappeared and Larka was jolted out of Oblivion and into the real world.
