She let go of his hand as they entered the room, dropping her shawl and dagger next to the bed as she reached it. That cursed book still laid among the sheets so she moved it to the nightstand as she sat down on the edge of the mattress, thinking she might toss it into the waves next time she was on the beach. Teldryn was by the table throwing off his armor carelessly, his mind obviously far away.

All the questions she wanted to ask piled up in her throat but she swallowed them down. Whatever it was that was bothering him, he would tell her if he wanted. She really hoped he would.

Down to his shirt and pants, he stood on the other side of the room, facing away, and she expected that he would go for his pipe next. Instead, he turned and headed for the bed, scratching his chin as he crossed the room. He sat down next to her and picked up one of her hands, looking everywhere but her face and she felt a tightness in her chest at his strange behavior.

"No doubt you're wondering where I've been today," he said, finally glancing at her. She nodded. He ran his tongue over his teeth, taking a deep breath through his nose, looking as if he was struggling with where to begin. His thumb caressed the back of her hand as he spoke. "I'm leaving tomorrow."

The words hit her like a wave, crashing in her ears as a command bombarded her mind. You can't leave me. Her chest swelled, the thought wanting to escape through her mouth, and even if she allowed it the way her lungs were twisting inside her would have held it back. She knew this would happen, what he did, who he was, but it had been a worry for another day. And though he was still here, holding her hand, assuaging her secret fear that he'd disappear without a trace, the tears lined her eyes all the same and she almost wished he had.


"No, no, no," he said quickly as her eyes spilled over. "Don't cry." He brought up his hands to wipe her cheeks, cradling her face as he tried his best to keep his voice light. "I'm just going up north to have a little look around," he assured, encouraged by the way she blinked at him hopefully. "Less than a week and I'll be back." With any luck, it was the truth. It was simple scouting mission, but he'd had things go sideways before.

She seemed to be calming with his explanation and he kicked himself for not starting with that. S'wit.

"Th- That's not so bad," she choked out through sniffles, making him wince with regret. One of these days he might figure out how to quit making her cry.

"Khes'yi...," he said as he raked his fingers into her hair, taking in her lovely features, feeling as though he'd mourn each expression he missed while he was away. The sardonic curve of her lips when she scolded him, the gleam in her eye that could be both at once wicked and demure, the way her skin glowed so warm in the candlelight as if she were Saint Almalexia herself. Were she to ask him at this moment to stay, he was not certain he could deny her.

"Only a few days," he said, to himself as much as her, leaning forward to caress his lips across her cheek. He would do the job that he had promised and find out what was going on then wash his hands of it. It would be Modyn's problem then.


She closed her eyes as his hands ran through her hair. Her head was swimming, exhausted from the tumult that had been wearing on her. She focused on the warm kisses that were moving slowly toward the corner of her mouth, the shadow in her mind receding. He stopped, pulling away and she opened her eyes again, meeting a gaze that burned into her causing a sudden flicker in a dark, abandoned place inside her; in that void that was as full as it was empty. She dropped her eyes, searching desperately for something to smother that which would smoke out the unspoken anguish, the ghost that would tear her apart upon his escape.

She grazed her fingers across the fabric of Teldryn's shirt. "Your clothes are filthy," she said quietly.

She hated the relief she felt as he straightened back up, trying to catch the breath that he took with him.

"That's easily remedied," he said with a smirk, reaching back to tug the shirt over his head.

There goes my breath again. It was as if she was seeing him for the first time, he was so beautiful. Her fingertips followed her gaze over his chest, down to his stomach, back up to his shoulder, over lean muscles that were built through purpose. The expanse of gray contrasting sharply to her olive tone as she ran her hand up to his chin, over the scar that she now understood indicated a far more serious injury than she initially thought. There were others on his arms and torso and she wondered how he would have looked without the marvel that was healing magic.

He caught her wrist and she brought her eyes up once again. "Lay with me," she breathed, meaning it genuinely, her desire not to lose herself, only to be close to him. He pushed up from the bed, grasping her hand to lead her to do the same.

With a faint smirk still on his lips, he lifted her shirt and camisole together over her head, running his hands down her back as she lowered her arms to reach for the laces of his pants. It wasn't erotic as she tugged at them, not as it had been before. There was a purity in their actions as they disrobed each other, as if it were only natural.

His touch was hot against the bare skin of her ribs as he nudged her backward until her legs hit the edge of the mattress. She sat down, scooting back toward the wall, settling under the blanket as he laid down next to her. She couldn't resist tossing a portion of the blanket over him, giggling as she curled her arms around his waist, intertwining her legs with his while he straightened the fabric out.


"Excuse me," he said with a laugh as she entangled him like a creeping vine. "Two can play at that game." He grabbed the blanket around her, using it to pull her flush against him. Her hands pushed against his chest as she squeaked in anticipation of his next move, managing to get her neck out of reach of his mouth just in time. She knew him too well.

Part of him wanted very much to push her onto her back, spread her open and become a part of her but he tempered himself for the moment, both because he understood what she had asked for and- to be honest- the rest of him was plain exhausted. That didn't mean he couldn't enjoy her intoxicating curves that seemed to be created for his hands, which he made very liberal use of as he closed the distance that she'd put between them.

"This is nice," he murmured, fully content to be wrapped up in her with her head resting on his arm, the heat of her breath spreading over his neck causing every muscle in his body to surrender to his quickly drifting consciousness.

"Are you leaving first thing?" He peeled his eyes back open at the sound of her voice, blinking himself awake as her question registered.

"It's best I leave as early as possible," he said, nuzzling to top of her head. "But I don't have to."

He felt her body stiffening, the serenity from moments before giving way to a cold, uneasy silence. "Oh, speaking of tomorrow morning," he added lightly. "You'll be pleased to hear that Modyn is moving the guar early."

"Really? Why?"

"I suppose he doesn't want to have to train his men on the beach while I'm gone," he replied, leaving unsaid that Modyn would be drilling them in the event whatever the East Empire Company was doing would require force to deter. "And it won't hurt for it to have a few more days to air out."

"That's the truth," she groused, tucking her head under his chin. "It's starting to stink even in the temple."

He chuckled, satisfied that she had relaxed into him once again. Gods, he would miss this. He could not be sure he'd ever known a more restful sleep than when he held her through the night. A long, slow breath filled him with her familiar aroma, the exhale releasing him to ambient peace.


Only a few days. She tried to hold onto his words but they kept slipping from her grasp. She remembered the stories he'd told of his travels, the marks on his body confirming them. He could not make her promises, whether he meant to or not. Not someone like him.

She tightened her arm around his back, clinging to him as he slept soundly. In all this time, she had never asked him which god he preferred- whom he had referred to as a patron. She made a mental note to find out before he left, intent on pestering the deity to make his words to her come true.

Azura, please, she prayed fervently, thankful that her hair would absorb the tears that were fighting their way out of her closed eyes. Please watch over him for me.

I need him.