Author's Note:
Stagheart and Swiftraven are from the Dragonlance novel, Spirit of the Wind, by Chris Pierson. It is book one in the Bridges Of Time series. They are, in that book, not in my story, Moonsong and Brightdawn's husbands.
Just a little explanation for you all before the chapter starts, if you were even interested where I got the new names I used in it. :)
~Sweet-Hearted SilverEars~
Chapter 10 The Dark Elf In The Storeroom
Caramon woke early the next morning. He smiled with soft eyes at seeing Raistlin still asleep beside him in their bed. He was unable to resist brushing the palm of his large left hand down over his brother's soft white hair, following the ridges of Raistlin's spine, caressing the golden skin of his bare, smooth skinned back tenderly.
He leaned down to press a brief, gentle kiss to Raistlin's lips, pulling back with another smile when the Mage murmured softly in response in his sleep. His twin flopped over onto his belly with a soft sigh now that Caramon no longer occupied his side of the bed.
"Caramon.." Raistlin moaned softly, clearly still asleep as he spoke. "I love you.."
"I love you, too, Raist," the large warrior whispered before leaving their bedroom reluctantly.
He walked down the short hallway to check on Ulin. The baby boy was sleeping soundly, having been wrapped in his deep red blanket securely by Raistlin's gentle hands before they had gone to bed last night.
Ulin was making quiet, sucking sounds from the cradle where his little baby thumb was buried in his tiny mouth. Caramon smiled, stroking his little right cheek gently before leaving that room as well to descend the stairs that led to the lower level where Raistlin's Mage shop was located. He was intending to tidy up for his twin a bit before he would have to wake and rise to start his workday.
Caramon headed into the shop, picking up and straightening a few things, though the place was already mostly clean because of Raistlin's fastidious nature. He then moved to the small storeroom, his brown eyes widening, stopping in his tracks as he saw that someone was sleeping there, curled up on a small bed of blankets.
The young man wore the black robes. And if that was not enough to unnerve Caramon greatly, the man's features were delicate, beautiful, drawing him in beckoningly like the moth to a flame with his slightly feminine looks. The color of his robes definitely disturbed him, but, to Caramon's shock and horror, it was only the sight of the small pointed ears on either side of his head, and his obvious youth, that stopped Caramon from reaching out to take the other male into his arms.
Well, those things, and his love for Raistlin.
Caramon shook his head, backing out of the storeroom quickly and back into the shop. He jumped a little, slightly nervous when he met his brother at the bottom of the stairs. But he decided that the best course of action was to just come out with it rather then fret all day waiting for Raistlin to bring it up later after he closed the shop for the night.
"Raistlin.. Why is there a- (gorgeous man) -Dark Elf sleeping in your storeroom?.."
Riverwind and Wanderer made their way back to the village, leaving the gutted deer and it's antlers by the entrance to Riverwind's tent. They slipped inside together to find Sturm sitting on the same blanket where he had been when Wanderer had left him earlier. Moonsong and Brightdawn lay asleep beside him, and Sturm was obviously feeling drowsy as well.
Sturm sat up immediately when his lover and his lover's son came into the tent, obviously intending to leave, but Riverwind held up a hand to stop him.
"No, Sturm," he said softly as they sat down with him. "Please, stay, my heart. This involves you as well. Wanderer, I wish for you to apologize to Sturm, please. I do not know what you said to him, but it is clear to me that it hurt him greatly, if he only wishes to flee upon seeing you. That is not good, not when he is my partner, my son."
"I did not say anything that was not true, father. He is an outsider. You should be with Stagheart, if it must be a man. He has been training for this purpose. It is what he wants, and he is ready. He will be so hurt when he finds out, because you did not choose him."
"I know that Stagheart and Swiftraven are ready to settle down and be Mated to a man," Riverwind replied softly, concealing his surprise when Wanderer flinched visibly in response when he mentioned Swiftraven's name. "That is the life that they want, and I know that they will find men. Good men, men who deserve them, whether from our tribe or another, who can be their protectors and lovers. They are both kind, beautiful young men, my son. But they are not Sturm. I love Sturm. I have always loved Sturm, even when he did not know it. I never told your mother, because I did not want to hurt her. She had enough trouble knowing that I had once lain with Swifthawk before I met her. And as long as it is what Sturm wants, then I greatly wish to be with him, forever. He is a wonderful, loving man. Do you understand?"
Wanderer appeared defeated, the young man drawing in a deep breath before he answered his father quietly. "Yes, I understand," Wanderer said with a soft sigh, turning his body partially toward Sturm where he sat across from him to make his apology. Wanderer's little sisters were asleep on the blanket near him. "I apologize, Sturm.. for my hurtful words to you. I should never have said the things that I did to you."
"It is alright," Sturm finally said quietly, only after the silence had become slightly strained, letting them both know that he would not let it slide again. "I have not had the same upbringing as you, so I am constantly questioning the rightness of what I and Riverwind are sharing. I am, or was, a knight, and in Solamnia two men lying together is considered wrong, sometimes even punishable by death. But I do love him, so as long as he wants me, I will be here with him. There is nowhere else that I can go now where I would not be shamed if this were to be discovered."
Riverwind winced at his lover's explanation, moving closer to the other man to take him in his arms, pressing his lips to his hair tenderly before speaking softly in his ear. "Oh, Sturm, no, my heart. Do not think that, please. You never have to leave me if you do not want to. You are safe here, and you know that I wish for you to stay, more then anything."
"Yes, I.. I know, Riverwind, I do. I will be alright. We will be alright."
"Yes, we will," Riverwind said firmly, slipping the fingers of his right hand into Sturm's left gently with a smile. He raised it to his lips and kissed it tenderly before pressing it to his chest over his heart as he stared into Sturm's eyes with clear affection. "Sturm?.."
"Yes, Riverwind?"
"Will you marry me?"
"Riverwind!" Sturm gasped, his eyes widening slightly at the question. "Yes! Yes, I will marry you! I will marry you!"
"Really?.. I was not sure about asking you, yet, because I know that you have been so nervous about us. I was not sure how you would react to it. I love you, Sturm, and so I do not ever wish to make you uncomfortable. Or drive you away from me by pushing too far too fast."
"You are not," Sturm reassured him, squeezing Riverwind's hand in his where it still rested on the warrior Chieftain's chest. "I love you, truly I do. And so I need to get past this fear of how others will react if they were to discover the true nature of our relationship. For both our sakes, Riverwind, I need to be proud that I love you, strong in front of others. We need to present a united front. All of us, as a family. I can not promise you that it will happen overnight, or even that it will be easy for me. but I can promise you that it will happen. I just need time, I swear it."
"You can have all the time in the world, my heart," Riverwind whispered, looking over at him with soft eyes and a loving smile. "I only wish to love you, and for you to be happy here with me."
"I am happy, I promise you. Very happy."
Riverwind smiled again, a quiet, relieved sigh escaping him as he pulled Sturm closer to himself, drawing him into a tender, loving kiss. Neither of the two men noticed when Wanderer slipped out of the tent, respectfully leaving his father and his chosen lover alone, going outside to prepare the fallen buck for preservation for Riverwind thoughtfully.
Riverwind moaned softly with pleasure, pleased when Sturm kissed him back with obvious hunger. He tugged the Chieftain into his arms gently, surprising Riverwind when Sturm shuddered, his eyes darkening as he took them both down to the warm, soft blankets nearby.
Sturm's body rested atop Riverwind's as he smiled at him, leaning in to kiss him again. He was surprised, looking at Riverwind questioningly when he pressed his right thumb gently against Sturm's lips, speaking to him softly as he looked up at him with an eager, though slightly cautious smile.
"We have to be quiet so that we do not wake the girls."
Sturm nodded in agreement, kissing Riverwind tenderly now where he lay atop him. He began to strip away Riverwind's hunting clothes, tossing them aside as he ran his hands lovingly over the warrior Chieftain's hard, muscled and beautiful body. Riverwind was right. Men could be beautiful. Riverwind was beautiful in Sturm's eyes, just as Sturm was beautiful in Riverwind's eyes.
The other man shuddered, arching his back into Sturm's touch. He obviously relished the feel of the knight's hands on him, trembling as Sturm's fingertips trailed down over the column of his neck, then to his shoulders, stroking and caressing his smooth chest muscles soothingly.
The fingertips of Sturm's left hand ghosted over Riverwind's right nipple entirely by accident, and Sturm was surprised when the Chieftain let a soft sound of pleasure escape his throat. The flesh of Riverwind's nipples tightened in response, pointing sharply upward from his chest with his obvious need and arousal.
"Sturm.." Riverwind whispered, his low voice slightly strained with his want, his arms lifting to encircle Sturm to clutch at his lover's lower back. "Please, my Heart.. I need you inside me.. Love me, Sturm, love me!"
"I do, Riverwind, I do," Sturm promised him, removing his own clothing quickly now before rubbing his left thumb over Riverwind's right nipple.
He did it purposefully this time, drawing forth another low moan from his lover, reaching for the small jar of oil that Riverwind always kept nearby. Sturm slicked up the fingers of his right hand with the oil, still rubbing Riverwind's right nipple as he reached between the other man's legs when he spread them for him. He slipped first one finger, then two inside Riverwind. These were followed by a third when the Chieftain's body relaxed, loosening enough to accept it.
Then Sturm withdrew his fingers with a smile, kissing Riverwind as he moved, pressing their bodies closer together as Riverwind's legs surrounded his hips. He angled their bodies just right so that Sturm could press forward into him, feeling his lower belly tighten with lust when Riverwind cried out softly with pleasure, clutching at Sturm's shoulders now unconsciously.
"Sturm, please, by the true gods, move!" Riverwind begged him in a soft voice that was slightly hoarse with his want pleadingly.
Sturm nodded, shuddering again as he kissed Riverwind hard, starting to move his hips. The knight was shaking above the warrior as the moved together, making love atop the soft fur blankets.
Then they were coming, Riverwind biting his lower lip to hold in his scream of joy, Sturm muffling his shout against his Chieftain's shining, beautiful hair. They were panting and sweat soaked as they lay there afterwards together, relieved that they had not woke the sleeping girls as they drifted off to sleep wrapped in each other's arms.
Raistlin pushed his hood back where he stood at the bottom of the stairs, looking at Caramon silently for a moment before beckoning his brother closer. He reached out with his left hand to take Caramon's when he obeyed, speaking to him softly, "Come, I do not wish to wake him, yet. I will explain upstairs, my brother."
Caramon nodded, his large hand tightening, clearly slightly possessive, around his brother's smaller one, though careful not to be hard enough to hurt him.
Caramon followed Raistlin back up the stairs quietly, keeping ahold of his hand as the red-robed Mage led him back into their bedroom. He seated himself on the soft mattress, tugging Caramon down beside him gently, looking deep into his lover's brown eyes as he answered Caramon's earlier question quietly now.
"The Dark Elf is Dalamar, 'Care," Raistlin said seriously as he looked at him. "Dalamar Argent. He is from Silvanesti, rejected by his people for choosing to become a Mage. He has asked me to be his Shalafi, his Master. To teach him what I know. I have accepted that position."
"But, Raist-" Caramon gasped in shock, his protest cut off as his voice stilled when his twin lifted his left hand to press the fingertips to Caramon's lips tenderly.
"He has nowhere else to stay. Think about it, Caramon. When I told him that the storeroom was the only place that I had to offer him, he did not even argue with me. He can help me in the shop in exchange. I told him that as long as he behaves, and stays downstairs, then he can stay. I did not wish to risk him finding out about you and Ulin. And, if I were to be honest, I was not just being worried and overprotective, I was jealous. I did not wish to share you and Ulin, and I did not wish to share Dalamar. But I was wrong to think that way. It was not fair, to either of you. Now that you know about him, I think that it would be best if he knew about you, and Ulin."
"But, Raist…" Caramon said after lifting one large hand to take Raistlin's other hand, the one against his lips, in his, kissing the slender golden fingers tenderly. "Can we trust him?.."
Raistlin smiled, his expression calm and reassuring despite his worry, squeezing his brother's hands with his gently. "It will come out eventually, Caramon. It would have to, with him living here. It is important that we tell him. Show him that we are not ashamed. Of the life, or of the family, that we have built together, my brother. If he were to find out on his own, he would be shocked and confused, I believe, and he might run. I want him to stay, 'Care. I want to teach him all I know, in case he ever need defend himself. I want him here, my love, and I want him safe."
"But, I.." Caramon trailed off, his brown eyes wary, almost nervous, as he looked across the small space between himself and his twin.
"What is it, 'Care?" Raistlin asked him softly.
"I do not want him here," the larger man blurted out quickly, his face flushing with embarrassment as to the reason why.
Raistlin's expression shifted from calm to surprised, clearly taken aback by his brother's statement, asking him, "Why, Caramon? He is just an innocent young boy. By Elven standards, anyway. We could give him sanctuary here. A home, a family."
"But, I.." Caramon replied, his voice drifting even lower, almost mumbling now. "I want him.."
Raistlin's golden-hourglass eyes widened almost imperceptibly. He reached out with his left hand, pressing the golden skinned palm to his larger twin's right cheek gently. "What do you mean, Caramon?.." the red-robed Mage asked him softly.
"I am attracted to him, Raist. He is a threat to all that we have built together."
"Oh, Caramon.." Raistlin said quietly, thinking it best to just come right out and say it considering the circumstances. "I feel the same about him as you do."
"You do?.." the larger man asked in shock, his brown eyes wide with his surprise.
"Yes, I do. But I have given him my word that he can stay, and I will not break it. We shall just have to tell him the truth, then wait and hope that he will stay."
"Alright, Raist," Caramon agreed with a sigh, smiling in return when Raistlin leaned in slowly with a smile to press his lips to his twin's tenderly. He then pulled back to look up into Caramon's eyes with obvious contentment. "Whatever you say, Raist.."