Goliath mostly spoke with Tenzin in his study, but they occasionally took breaks and strolled through the monastery where Tenzin would show him more of their archives. Tsering was in the monastery to teach the hatchlings at one point in the night when the two leaders strolled past the classroom, talking seriously together. They had been sequestered away in Tenzin's study most of the night, and she hadn't seen much of either of them.
Tsering had never seen any other gargoyles before outside of her clan, and he was strange to her, but not in an unpleasant way. He was a lot bigger and stronger than the males of her clan. Like he had been roughly hewn from granite and brought to life.
Something about him appealed to her, though, something that thrilled her immensely whenever she saw him.
Something she hadn't felt for anyone other than…
She felt eyes on her and she looked up across the hall to a room of archives where she caught sight of a familiar monk with terracotta skin and burnt sienna wings.
Rinchen.
He had noticed her watching Goliath from where he had been working, and the pained look on his face made her want to run across the hall and fling herself in his arms. To caress him and hold him the way she had once so long ago. To finally be with him.
But it was forbidden.
She needed to move on, and with difficulty, she turned away and went about her business as Rinchen watched her mournfully from the other side of the hall.
...
...
"You've seen great tragedy," Tenzin said quietly as Goliath finished telling him about his clan up to the betrayal and massacre at Wyvern. He had yet to explain being turned to stone for a millennium or Xanatos and their awakening in New York.
"As have many others," Goliath acknowledged sadly. "My clan's circumstances have unfortunately not been unique to my clan."
"No, it has not," Tenzin said regrettably. "When my clan began to keep record of other clans around the world, we would send out messengers who would travel far and wide and gather information, but over the centuries, we began to see a disturbing trend."
"Clans being slaughtered?" Goliath guessed.
"Yes, and then one day, a few centuries ago, Shambahla was attacked. Rumors had swirled in a nearby village that we were hoarding a great treasure," Tenzin paused and laughed morosely. "The only treasure we have is only precious to us; the accrued knowledge we have here. Luckily they were not aware of our vulnerability, and they decided to attack under the cover of night. The clan was caught off guard, and they were unaccustomed to fighting, but they fought them off...at a great cost. Many of the clan were killed, including hatchlings. After that, a decision was made by the clan to seal off the valley, and they cast a spell that deters people from coming in. After a while, our existence was forgotten or lost to myth and legend. Occasionally, a rogue human manages to wander into the valley, somehow bypassing the spell, as you and your companions have, and we learn all we can from them of the world before we send them on their way."
"Is that how Pema got here?" Goliath asked.
Tenzin smiled fondly at the mention of his mate.
"Pema stumbled into the valley about 39 years ago. She was barely clinging to life when we found her," he explained.
"39 years ago? She must have been little more than a child," Goliath said astonished.
"Yes. She was 15 years old. An earthquake destroyed her village, though Shambahla was relatively unscathed. Pema was the only survivor. She wandered for days, hungry and thirsty, and by some kind of miracle or serendipity, she found our valley. We found her just a few yards from the lake where she had collapsed. We nursed her back to health, and she wound up staying."
"Because you fell in love with her?" Goliath remarked.
Tenzin chuckled softly.
"Once you get to know Pema better, you'll see I had little choice in the matter."
Goliath instantly thought of Elisa, and how he felt almost helpless in regards to how he felt about her.
"I did not love her immediately, though, we were both young. Our love for each other grew over time, and only after years of much resistance did we finally admit our feelings and become mates," Tenzin explained, and then he eyed Goliath speculatively. "I must say, you are remarkably open minded that I have a human mate, by the way."
"It is...not my place to tell anyone who they should love," Goliath replied carefully.
"No...I think you perhaps might be...somewhat sympathetic, if I'm not mistaken," Tenzin said carefully. "I have noticed how you speak of Elisa. She is more than a friend to you, isn't she?"
"Yes...you have accurately assessed the situation," Goliath confirmed. "But our world is a lot more complicated than your world, Tenzin. A lot less understanding, and Elisa would be the one to suffer the consequences if we decided to go the route you and Pema have. Though I long for more, I fear we may always be nothing more than friends."
Tenzin nodded understandingly.
Then he stood up and called outside his office. A moment later, a male monk around Goliath's age walked in carrying a large tome.
"Thank you, Rinchen," Tenzin said gratefully as he took the thick book out of his hands.
The monk nodded his head and left.
He held the book out to Goliath who took it carefully with his taloned hands.
"This is all the history we have on your clan, Goliath," Tenzin said. "It's a copy, not the original which is too fragile to handle. Part of the job of our monks is to translate and transcribe older works so that they are not lost to the inevitable decay of time."
Goliath reverently took the book from his hands.
Then he opened it and glanced at the first lines.
"Upon the rocky western coast of the Kingdom of Alba, there resides a fairly large clan in a place called Wyvern. I speculate the location is named for the clan by nearby humans. They are led by a young male who is large in stature with tan brown skin and straw blond hair and, unusual for our species, a beard. The gargoyles of this clan are as rugged and intractable as the cliffs they live on. They are primarily hunters and gatherers and have little to no agriculture..."
Goliath looked up from the text.
"What year was this written? The description of the leader sounds like Hudson. I was his second in command until he stepped down."
"The year 955 A.D., I believe," Tenzin replied.
"That's him then," he said with amazement.
"He's one of the survivors, correct?"
"Yes. He must have met an ancestor of your clan. I cannot wait to talk to him about this," Goliath said.
The excitement on Tenzin's face fell.
"Goliath…there's something you should know…"
There was a timid knock at the door and an acolyte walked in; a young bronze colored female around Angela's age. She looked rather upset.
"Yes, Tashi?" Tenzin addressed her.
"May I speak with you privately?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Tenzin's brows rose with concern.
"Of course. Goliath, could you give us a minute?"
"Certainly. I need to stretch my legs a bit anyway," he replied, and he got up and left Tenzin to speak alone with the young female.
"What's wrong, Tashi?" Tenzin asked.
"Norbu, he—"
Goliath didn't hear the rest as he shut the door behind him.
He realized he still held the book in his hands and thought to return it, but decided better of it. He didn't want to intrude. He cracked the pages open again and continued to read about his clan as he walked down the corridor.
"Goliath!" someone called to him.
He turned to see Tsering walking quickly towards him. He paused in his stride to allow her to catch up before continuing to walk again.
"Tsering. Hello," he said, acknowledging her.
It surprised her that he recalled her name.
"Uh...how have you enjoyed Shambahla so far?" she asked and cursed herself for being unable to think of anything more clever to say.
"Considering I have spent most of it in Tenzin's study, it has been fine," Goliath said wryly
Tsering smiled a little abashed.
Now that she had asked one foolish question, she figured she may as well ask another.
"Is Angela your mate?" Tsering asked bluntly, and Goliath stumbled slightly as they walked.
"No! She is my daughter," he corrected quickly.
"Daughter? But…" Tsering paused, confused. "How old are you?"
Goliath laughed at her bluntness. She certainly wasn't afraid to ask prying questions that others would have avoided out of a sense of propriety.
"I am one-thousand and fifty-eight years old," he replied.
"No," Tsering said skeptically. "I don't buy that."
"I hatched in the year nine-hundred and thirty-eight."
"You're pulling my tail!" Tsering said incredulously.
Goliath laughed.
"I'm not. I was cursed to sleep a thousand years while Angela and her rookery were whisked away to be raised on a magical island where time passes more slowly, hence the age discrepancy."
Tsering blinked several times.
"That is...unbelievable," she said.
"Believe it or not, that is your choice, but it is what happened."
Tsering shook her head and decided to move on from that mind-boggling topic.
"You must have a mate back home you are anxious to return to, though, right?" Tsering asked, circling back to her previous question.
"No, uh—" Goliath paused wondering how to explain everything that had occurred between him and Demona. "She was lost to me...long ago."
"Oh," Tsering said sadly, assuming she had died. "I am sorry for your loss."
Goliath nodded.
Close enough.
If it was hard for Tsering to accept he had been asleep for a thousand years, it would be even harder for her to accept that his former mate had made a bargain with faeries that made her immortal.
"Don't be. I have long since moved past it," he replied darkly.
Tsering glanced at him and decided it was worth a shot. He was single…she was single…
"Well, if it's any consolation, you look...very good for your advanced age," she teased, and then her eyes slowly roamed up and down his body, eyeing him appreciatively.
"Quite good, indeed…" she said as she stepped in front of him and placed a hand on his chest, causing him to pause in his steps. Then she ran her talons down his chest and abdomen to the top of his belt before she turned abruptly and walked away.
She cast one look over her shoulder and smiled at him before walking off, her tail and hips swishing alluringly.
"Jalapeña," Goliath muttered to himself, and he had a brief thought of what it would feel like to run his hands over her feathery wings. He shook his head, immediately disregarding that notion. Tsering was immensely attractive. She had a figure any male would be happy to have warm him on a cold night…
But she wasn't Elisa.
She didn't make his heart pound the way Elisa did.
She didn't maddeningly occupy his thoughts and dreams the way Elisa did.
She had not earned his trust after it had been so completely shattered or held him together while he slowly healed his broken heart.
No, Tsering was lovely…but she was not Elisa.
...
...
Rinchen watched Tsering as she walked and talked with the Scottish gargoyle, Goliath. He was on his way back to the monastery after taking a quick meal. He had taken a manuscript with him that he had painstakingly translated, and checked for errors while he ate, but he was distracted by the sight of the two of them walking together. Tsering said something that made the large lavender gargoyle laugh, and it ruffled his feathers. It bothered him to see Tsering with another male, and then he mentally chastised himself for his thoughts. Tsering could do as she pleased. She deserved happiness. No matter what happened between them nearly ten years ago, he had no claim on her. Not when he was a monk who was supposed to focus solely on his work and not on the opposite sex.
But it was difficult.
Especially when it came to Tsering.
He watched her with great longing as she walked away with the unfamiliar male.
Then Tsering turned to Goliath and ran her hand down his chest, touching him flirtatiously.
He clenched his fists hard enough that his talons bit into his flesh and drew blood, inadvertently destroying the manuscript he had just completed.
He sighed as he looked at the bloodied and torn paper in his hands.
Weeks of work destroyed because he could not master his emotions.
Because he could not have Tsering.
He sighed sadly and returned to the monastery where he spent the rest of the night rewriting his transcript, and hoped fervently that he did not run into Tsering and Goliath together again.
...
...
Elisa headed over to the monastery to find Goliath and see if he was hungry. Pema had shown her how to make momo dumplings earlier, and she brought some for him and Tenzin that she had proudly made herself. It turned out she didn't even have to step foot into the monastery as she saw Goliath's familiar form as he emerged from the building.
But he wasn't alone.
Tsering, the buxom female who was Tenzin's second in command, was with him, and judging by her body language, she was flirting with him. Elisa's mouth twisted sourly at the sight of him laughing at something she had said. They walked a little farther, and then Tsering turned to him, put her hand on his chest, and ran her fingers all the way down his abdomen, a coquettish smile on her face before she sauntered off, swaying her hips and tail as she did, and Goliath watched her with fascination as she walked off.
How dare she!
Goliath was not hers!
He was—
Elisa paused mid-thought and growled under her breath. She knew it didn't make sense, but she couldn't help the territorial feelings she had regarding Goliath. She couldn't have him, but she couldn't stand for anyone else to have him either, and she was mad at herself for her irrational thoughts.
Besides, it wasn't like it mattered. They would be leaving in a few days. It was just harmless flirtation.
Wasn't it?
She turned and stomped off irritably in the opposite direction and ran right into Angela.
"Oh!" Elisa said startled and wondered how long the young gargoyle had been standing there observing her. "Angela…I—I didn't see you."
Angela had recently returned from her glide with Norbu. She had been curious about the wild cats that lived in the mountains, and hoped to see one herself. Norbu had been kind enough to try and find one with her, but they'd had no luck. There was a reason why they were called ghosts of the mountain, but she had been lucky enough to spend the evening in his company. He was very attractive, and he made her feel things she hadn't felt for any of her rookery brothers.
It was an exciting and new feeling, and she felt like she was walking on air, until she stumbled upon Elisa and wondered why she looked so sad...until she saw her father across the way with Tsering who was clearly trying very hard to get his attention.
"You're in love with him," Angela said gently to her.
"Who?" Elisa said, playing dumb as she tried to dodge the question.
Angela gave her a level look.
"My father. You're in love with him."
Elisa looked away.
"I care a great deal about him, but love? No, " Elisa said, but she knew it sounded like the lie it was as soon as it left her lips.
Angela shook her head.
"You may think I am young and naive, but I know what love looks like," Angela chided. "And besides...how could I possibly believe you don't love him when you can't even convince yourself?"
Elisa's jaw went slack at the young gargoyle's blunt words, and then she shut her mouth, clacking her teeth together, and scowled at her
Angela placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"I'm pretty sure he loves you, too," she said sympathetically.
"What does it matter if we love each other, Angela? It doesn't change the fact that he is a gargoyle, and I am a human," Elisa said stubbornly.
"It doesn't seem to be a problem for Tenzin and Pema," Angela shot back.
Elisa's scowl only grew deeper.
"You should tell him how you feel. The tension between you two aboard the skiff…it's nearly unbearable!"
"Tell him? To what end? What kind of life could we possibly have together?" Elisa snapped.
"You two could be happy," Angela oversimplified.
"That's fantasy, not reality, Angela. It's just not possible," Elisa said bitterly.
Angela squared her shoulders stubbornly. Elisa was going to listen to reason for once whether she wanted to or not.
"I watched the Magus pine for Katharine my whole life! He could have said something! He could have fought for her! At the very least, he would have known he tried. Don't be like the Magus and waste what precious time you could have together!"
Elisa looked away, reminded of her own words to the Magus.
"You still love her. Why didn't you fight for her?"
"I know there are a lot of obstacles in the way, but if you saw the way he looked at you when you aren't looking, you wouldn't be so reluctant."
"How does he…how does he look at me?" Elisa asked, her voice softening.
"Like he's seeing the sun for the first time," Angela replied. "Like you're the most beautiful and wonderful thing he's ever seen in his whole life. Other times he looks at you with such longing and heartache, I can barely stand it."
Elisa was quiet for several moments, her eyes sad.
"It doesn't matter," she said eventually, her tone defeated. "It's just not possible."
She shoved a platter of dumplings in her hands and walked away in the opposite direction of her and Goliath, leaving Angela to stare regretfully after her.
They were both so stubborn, she thought frustratedly. If she could see it so clearly, why couldn't they?
...
...
When they had gathered for the final meal of the day, Goliath noticed Elisa was particularly quiet. She didn't engage in conversation with him like she normally did. He tried to ask how she had spent her time while he was occupied with Tenzin, but her answers were clipped and even a little curt.
He looked to Angela for some kind of explanation for Elisa's unusually morose mood, but she offered up none, and just looked at him like he was an idiot.
He gave up and hoped she was just feeling homesick.