I'm…cold? Is that what this feeling is?

Eyes opened. Flashes of a distant world faded as the new blurry one came into focus. She lifted a hand and rubbed them across her eyes. The bleariness didn't go away, but her movements must have caught the eyes of another onlooker. She heard the rustling of someone trying to pull themselves up off the ground.

"Who're…" The voice was deep. "Why are we…?"

She lifted her body into a sitting position, searching for his voice, and finally noticed someone stand up. She rubbed her eyes again, too unfocused to take him in. There was another person, and maybe one—two? she wondered—more after that stood up after him. She wobbled to her feet, head swimming. After a moment she couldn't help but to close her eyes slowly, almost letting her body fall back to the ground. Why was it so hard to stand? Why was everything unbalanced? Why am I awake?

The strangers stared at each other. Seconds of silence turned into long lengths of hollow breaths. She tried to focus on any one person, but her vision was spotty. Did she always have this hard of a time getting situated? Just trying to answer that question gave her a headache. She thought back to just moments before she opened her eyes, but it was like opening a door to an empty room. There was nothing there. No memory.

Voice groggy, she tried to ask, "do you remember...?" but paused when she looked up. Where was everyone going? Four people all turning one by one in different directions, without so much as an introduction to one another. "Um, wait!" She took a step forward and fell onto her knees. Can I not remember anything? She was drawing up blanks. Eyes blinking, images turning black and white, sounds were muffled, and she couldn't tell what was happening to her.

Go back to sleep.

"Why can't I think?" The words drifted slowly from her mouth. "What is my name?"

It was like something clicked then as she asked herself that question. "Sarah Sisulart," she whispered before blacking out.

. . .

"I'm…I'm sorry can you say that again?"

"Your name? What is your name."

Sarah pushed her glasses up her face, eyes not leaving the nose—snout?—of the Khent soldier in front of her. She blinked a few times before remembering that she had not yet answered his question. "I, sorry, uhm—my name is Sarah. Sisulart." She bowed low.

"Sisulart, Sisulart." The soldier eyed her, a frown on his lips. She knew she messed up somewhere. Was she supposed to bow? Was it all the staring she did? She itched to write about the curious mortal in front of her. Were all those who lived in Khent like this? "You're on the list. Open the gate!"

Sarah straightened her body, remembered her manners and thanked the guard for letting her through. She would have to remember to write about this later. She didn't get permission to come all the way north just to ogle at the dog like appearance of the people in this country.

. . .

Sarah held the small child's cheeks between her hands. There was such awful commotion going on around them as the village was taken over, and Sarah couldn't bear to think that at any moment this girl would be torn away from her. The girl's eyes were wide and frozen in fear. Sarah pushed away any negative thoughts and held her a little tighter. "Don't look away from me. Don't forget my name! Say it!"

"S-Sarah!" The girl's tears streaked down her cheeks and Sarah quickly wiped them away with the pads of her thumbs.

"Good. If we get separated remember my name. Tell it to everyone you meet, and I'll find you!" The clanging of armor was getting closer, and Sarah knew her hiding spot would soon be found. She cursed herself for not bringing her staff into town today. "There is a lot of strength in a name. Don't forget mine, and never forget yours, do you understand, Thora?"

The girl nodded, and Sarah pulled her into a hug hoping to muffle the constant ring of metal hitting metal moving closer and closer to them.

. . .

"Sisulart?"

Sarah thought she might recognize the voice. It's not one she heard often. Correction: I have heard it two times now, she reminded herself. Though it was one that she would not soon forget, if ever. She turned around and saw him: the immortal mercenary.

"Kaim." An easy smile spread to her lips. "What are you doing here in Saman?"

"Actually." Kaim looked down to the ground. "Here to visit you. I mentioned I was coming this way in my letter, but you never responded so…"

"Oh! I've been away in Gohtza! More like Khent. Well, in-between!" Sarah walked closer to him, and he finally looked back up. She could tell he wasn't quite reaching her eyes. Was he embarrassed about the possibility of her not being in Tosca when he stumbled through? "It's okay! Looks like we both arrived just in time."

"I suppose so."

"It'll be kind of nice to have a companion to travel the Black Cave with."

"You do it by yourself?"

"Oh, so many times. I know it like the back of my hand. In fact, I escort a number of Toscans and other visitors through the cave about once every two months or so." Sarah smiled, and steered them towards said cavern. "I'm part of the reason why people can safely travel through to Saman. If we leave now, we'll be in Tosca within a few hours."

The travel was quick. With Kaim's sword and the few bits of offensive magic Sarah had learned in her six hundred years of living, they made it safely to the mountain village. Sarah sat down in the grass before her home. Kaim pulled out his water pouch and offered her a sip. "Thank you," she said, before taking a long draught.

"What took you to Gohtza?"

Sarah wiped her mouth and passed the sack back to him. "Oh. Just some research to help the king." She paused.

Kaim sat down next to her, and when she looked over, he was looking at her expectantly. Normally, in her letters, she wouldn't be able to keep quiet about any type of adventuring, but this time it was different. She couldn't fight the blush that came to her face as she thought about her, happily short, journey.

"Did something happen?"

"Nothi—nothing unusual!" she seemed to say a little too quickly. Kaim seemed to chuckle, and she let out a sigh. Her higher than normal pitch giving herself away. "I guess a little unusual."

"Are you willing to share?"

Sarah looked down at the grass beneath her. She absentmindedly picked a few blades as she recollected her memory of the last month and a half. Just as Kaim opened his mouth again, no doubt to change the subject, Sarah said, "I went there to help Gohtza and Khent with a mysterious weather pattern that has suddenly hit them. Extremely cold weather at this time of the year is a little unheard of."

"Doesn't sound too abnormal for you."

"And, well. I guess I almost married the Gohtzan prince."

There was a moment of silence before a very pointed snort came out of her friend. With a, mostly mocking, gasp, she playfully elbowed the mercenary next to her. "Rude."

"I just can't see you becoming royalty, Sisulart," he said between another chuckle.

"Well, now I feel compelled to go and change my answer!" She huffed and crossed her arms, earning yet another laugh from Kaim. Her lips quirked up, but she still acted offended for a moment more.

"Sorry, sorry," he said leaning around to look at her face. "Maybe if you worked on your manners."

"Oh, ha-ha." Sarah did finally crack a smile. "Me working on my manners. A laugh." Kaim did laugh again, and she joined in this time. When their giggles subsided, Sarah nudged Kaim with her knee, but suddenly couldn't help to be more interested in the grass below her again. "And, Kaim?"

"Hmm?"

"You can call me Sarah." She looked up then, smiling softly. "I don't mind."

He blinked a few times, before granting a little upwards pull of his own lips. "Okay."

. . .

"And you're…?"

"Sarah—"

"Sisulart," she interjected, cutting off her husband. The man double checked the names on his list, gave the couple an odd look before stepping aside and allowing them onto the boat. Sarah thanked the sailor and pulled Kaim along. It was going to be just a short boat ride to the neighboring city, but Sarah wanted to make sure they got good seats, so she rushed them inside.

She found a window booth, took off her sunhat setting it on the table, and pulled off her pack and tucked it under the seat. As she slid into her seat looking out to the beautiful sea, she sighed and rested her head in her hands.

"You do know I was going to say Sisulart."

Sarah turned just slightly towards Kaim. He put his own pack away and sat down across from her. He held his hand palm up and Sarah didn't waste any time to put her own on top. His thumb ran over her knuckles, pausing to admire the gleaming ring in the sunlight. Her own breath hitched, as if the reminder that only a few short weeks before they had exchanged rings, took her breath away. "I know."

She squeezed his hand and faced the window again. "I think I was just too excited to get onto the boat."

After another ten minutes, the ship blew out its horn and they were under way. As the boat rocked on the waves, Sarah pulled her head away from her hand, and turned herself fully toward the man in front of her. She was able to look at Kaim in profile and admired him for it. She found herself thinking she was lucky that the man she loved and chose to spend her days with just happened to be so handsome. She voiced this opinion and it earned her a roll of his eyes. She laughed.

"I guess I can say the same."

"You guess?" Sarah's face broke out into a wider smile. "I guess I am a handsome woman."

"You know what I mean."

Sarah giggled again. Kaim cracked another smile, turning back to the window. In the distance the land was growing closer, and soon they would be off this ship and finding their hotel. Sarah watched the ship cut through the water, but eyes wandered away to look at Kaim again.

A thought crossed her mind, and she just needed to ask. "Do you mind?"

"Mind?" Kaim looked at her again. She chewed on her lip for a moment suddenly unsure how to ask her burning question. "Mind that my wife is forgetful that I can't exactly read her mind?"

Sarah chuckled, shaking her head. "No. Sorry. I mean, do you mind that I didn't take your last name?"

Kaim looked at her for a moment, then tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Not at all."

"It's not common."

"Which is why the sailor checking names must have been confused."

"It really doesn't bother you?"

Kaim shook his head and leaned back against the booth. "It really doesn't."

"Why?" Sarah leaned back also, relaxing a little after feeling the strain of holding herself so upright. Kaim would answer truthfully and knew he would never do or say anything on purpose to hurt her feelings, so she was curious as to why he had never mentioned or questioned that she chose to keep her maiden name.

To Sarah her name was her life's work. Every book she had ever written, any history that was ever recorded by her was signed Sarah Sisulart or S. Sisulart or any other combination of Sarah and Sisulart. To take almost eight-hundred- and ninety-years' worth of Sisulart away made Sarah almost nauseous. She took a lot of pride in her name. It was also her one connection back to their old world, and she'd feel a little lost without it.

Most people who were introduced to the newlyweds always questioned them, and Sarah chose to not tell the truth at all—as that would probably just confuse the poor mortals even more—but leave the people they met with a mystery. But now her brain buzzed with the question and found that she wouldn't be able to focus until Kaim answered it.

Of course, her immortal husband took his time to answer her burning question. It was a few minutes before he said, "There are too many Argonars and not enough Sisularts."

"That's really not your answer is it?" Sarah frowned. Kaim smiled, showing that he was kidding, and she waited again.

He sighed. "It really doesn't matter to me what your name is, you'll always be my wife. Forever, unfortunately." At that they both laughed. Kaim then leaned forward a little. "If you truly, honestly, wanted me to take your last name I would have done it without hesitation."

"Really?" Sarah replied a little skeptically.

"Without any hesitation," he repeated, leaning in a little more, noses almost touching. Without a moment's notice or looking away from Kaim's face; Sarah picked up her hat from the table, giving them a little privacy, and kissed him quickly on the corner of his mouth. As soon as she broke away, Kaim gently lifted her chin and kissed her a little deeper, before she set the hat on top of her head, a new blush forming on her cheeks.

When the boat came to a wobbling stop, and they had collected their things, Sarah righted her hat on her head and held out her hand. "Come along, Mr. Sisulart."

With a laugh, Kaim replied, "as you wish, Mrs. Sisulart."

It's summertime, and I figured I should update this story! I wonder how many chapters I will make?