Number eighteen: Dancing.
Pairing: Arra Sails/Larten Crepsley.
A/N: Yep, I just had to go with this couple for this word. It just fits.
Disclaimer: See chapter one.
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The sun was setting slowly behind the forest of dense pine trees, and a soft winter snow was falling gracefully from the orange-tinted clouds. The ground was already covered in a layer of brilliant snow, and it crunched under the footfalls of my companions: Gavner was twirling Arra round and round, and they were both laughing happily. I was sat on a snow dusted rock slightly away from them, watching with a smile on my face. The music from the Festival drifted down to our clearing, giving the scene an almost magical quality.
We had managed to slip away from the main party, and were simply enjoying each others company, something we had not been able to do for a long while. The three of us had only just finished our Trials of Initiation a week or so ago, and during that week we had been recovering and resting, much too injured and exhausted to spend time together. So it was nice to get away from the clan and just have fun. At first, Arra had attempted to teach Gavner how to dance, but that had proved impossible – Gavner wasn't the most graceful of Vampires, and they both still carried injuries from the Trials: Gavner a broken wrist and various cuts of varying sizes, Arra a fractured ankle and bruised ribs.
Somehow, I had managed to come out of the Trials with the least amount of injuries: my only remaining ones were a few cuts, and even they were healing quickly.
We were a strange sight: formally dressed for the Festival, but covered in bandages. Not that we cared at all.
"Oh, come on!"
I looked up just as Arra sat next to me and Gavner threw his hands in the air.
"You're impossible!" Arra called back, grinning lopsidedly at him. Gavner laughed, shook his head, and joined us on the rock. We were silent for a while, watching the snow falling and listening to the music, until Gavner asked, "When should we head back?"
"At dawn." I suggested, unwilling to go back to the confines of the mountain.
"Ari won't last that long." Gavner teased, poking Arra's shoulder. She swatted a hand at him, and then resumed huddling up against me, pulling Gavner's coat (which she had stolen from him as soon as we had hit the outside) tighter around her, "You'll freeze before dawn."
Arra frowned up at him and both me and Gavner laughed, "You're just sore about being awful at dancing." She finally smirked, hoping off the rock before Gavner could shove her.
"I'm not awful." Gavner moaned with a smile.
She grinned at him, and then faced me, her grin turning playful, "Dance please."
I smiled, "I cannot."
"Lies!" Gavner shouted.
"You can dance. I know you can." Arra held out a hand to me, "Please."
I sighed and shook my head with a smile, but took her outstretched hand and allowed her to pull me up. The music had turned into a slow, gentle tune, so I pulled her close and we danced slowly. I could see Gavner watching us with a happy smile on his face and I smiled back, deciding that I'd be quite happy if tonight never ended.
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A/N: Eh. Don't really like it, but hey! One more word down! Another three to go! ^_^