Chapter 15

Kalen hurried after his lover, who didn't turn around when he called her name. "Midori, turn around and at least talk to me, I hate it when you hide…" he told her.

Suddenly Midori broke into a run, desperate to escape the castle, to run anywhere and never return. The Bazhir slowed and watched as the woman leaned against a wall, unable to continue. Kalen put a comforting hand on her shoulder and sighed as she flinched but let him rest his hand there, offering comfort in his presence.

"I'm sorry," he finally said after a long pause.

Midori took his calloused hand and led him to the stables where Yukiko and Velvet were kept. She let him saddle and tack Velvet but made no attempt to saddle her own mount.

"Do you need help saddling up Yukiko?" Kalen asked, taking the black mare's lead.

"I thought we could share the ride," she whispered.

Kalen mock-bowed and smiled, "Then will milady care to mount first?" Midori swatted him playfully and mounted. Kalen climbed on after her and wrapped his arms around her waist to grip the reins, as she leaned in his embrace.

In a few minutes they were riding down a well-trod road and Midori stared at the wonders of spring. Grass was green and the sun was bright, dancing among the leaves in the trees while clusters of flowers grew, seeking energy from the sun.

"What are you sorry about?" the woman asked.

"Everything." He replied.

Midori was confused, "Why?"

"I don't wish to take my Ordeal a year earlier" he admitted.

"Why didn't you say anything?" she cried.

"Like I said before, love, a younger knight of the realm is best"

Midori couldn't slip on her mask, she felt hot tears course down her cheeks and her shoulders shook with sobs.

Kalen halted his mare and dismounted, lifting Midori with him and letting her fall into his hold as she cried. "Hush, Midori," he whispered, stroking her hair and simply holding her near.

Midori looked up and Kalen wiped her tears with a hand as she tried to get a grip on herself. She turned from him but Kalen took her arm and turned her to face him, placing a sweet kiss on her lips. She gasped at the ferocity of this kiss and as they broke apart, she saw tears sparkling in his eyes.

"I don't want to die in the Chamber, but neither do I wish to die without you," he said.

"I'll ask the gods to protect you, Kalen, and they will," she told him, taking his hand.

"If I don't survive, I want you to have this" Kalen then took a small object from his pocket, the token caught the sun and blinded Midori temporarily with white flashes of light. "This," Kalen opened his palm to show her a golden hawk with a bit of red at its brow and back. "Is to certify you are a member of the Bloody Hawk, the red is from the blood binding ritual."

"Let me be bound" she said softly, taking a dagger from her sheath.

"It's not that simple, and I don't have the Gift" Kalen stated.

"I don't need it to be bound." she said, moving the dagger swiftly, cutting her lips and left wrist. Quickly she took the gold-red hawk and pressed it to her bleeding wrist and her bloody lips to his mouth. With the sweet, salty liquid mixing with their saliva they felt a change deep inside. An inner connection, a spiritual tie.

Midori broke the kiss and looked at her lover, smiling. "In blood we are bound, so mote it be"

Kalen looked at her, slightly surprised and took a silver chain hanging from Midori's neck and clasped the hawk to one of the silver beads and placed it back around her neck, grinning, "It suites you."