Chapter 34: Reading River

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Oz was in his room throwing the sparse clothing that lay on the floor back into his duffel bag. Fenir was whining in his head. 'Fen you know we can't stay. Temporary pack. Not forever. You know we can't have a forever pack.'

At that Fenir just started to howl. 'Oh come on Fenir cut it out. We're going to Blue Moon, we'll get to see little Xang." The howling paused for a moment and Oz could almost image the wolf cocking his head in consideration. "Maybe Josh'll be there too." There was silence.

The door opened and River slipped in and sat on his bed before Oz even had time to turn to look. She drew her knees to her chest and laid her head a top them, "Hey wolf-man."

Oz gave a slight smirk, "Hey psychic-girl." He sat down on the bed and leaned against the wall.

River quickly scooted back so she could lean her head against Oz's shoulder. "You're going away." She said grabbing his arm and pulling it around herself. "To the other wolves and monks."

"Yeah." Oz slung his other arm around her.

"It'll be okay." River said.

"Yeah?" Oz asked.

"No matter how far you go, how long you're gone, the calm will still be here. What will come, will pass as it should. You won't leave just yet. The siren's song still has a hold on you." River said playing with the beads adorning Oz's wrists.

"You got a bit of seer in you don't you?" Oz asked. River shrugged. "So siren huh? Would that be you?"

"No haven't you ever seen a siren. They're ugly, the only way they get guys is by their beautiful song." River said matter of factly.

"Oh so it's Jayne." Oz amended.

"No, of course not." River paused, "Jayne doesn't use his song to attract guys. He attracts girls using his d—"

Oz placed his hand over River's mouth, "My last night here, I'd rather not discuss how Jayne attracts… anything."

River pulled his hand down and turned around to face Oz, "Oh okay. Then about we don't discuss anything." She leaned down to kiss him on the lips. The kiss started slow and tentative. River's hands found a place in Oz's soft hair. She reveled in the feel of his body against hers and the silence that his mind offered. Only the tiny cracks that occasionally let her see images of his life and his thoughts. Except the cracks were getting bigger the longer they kissed. And now his mind was pressing in on hers. River cried out in pain.

"River!" Oz looked at the crying girl in his arms. 'Walls.' Fenir howled. Oz stripped off his beads around his wrists and wrapped them around the psychic's. Her sobs slowed and she was able to look at Oz.

"What happened to the silence? All the noise came back. So much pain, so many lives, too many thoughts." River asked.

"Oh River I'm so sorry." Oz murmured brushing away her tears.

"Why? What did you do?" River leaned back in his arms. She looked down at her wrists. "I can think again. The silence is in my head now."

"You're psychic, a reader. A psychic has it hard enough even with having barriers. But when it comes to being intimate, they have to have very good barriers to be able to have sex and not pass out from the onslaught of the other person's mind." Oz explained.

"But we weren't having sex." River said.

"You don't have any barriers ling shu zhu." Oz said touching her face.

"But when I wear these…" River gave Oz a hopeful look.

"Then I can kiss you and you'll be fine."

"So… what are you waiting for?"