"Amazons do not usually make exceptions to their rules," Kaldur mused teasingly as he looked into her green eyes.
She shrugged back. "Technically, this isn't the shore...it's still the ocean so we're still in your waters," Cailan joked back.
Their time apart had made them shy, like a pale bloom to a spring rose. His courting had become...long distance and they'd done so much growing between them that it was as if they'd started over.
"Cailan," his voice was low and serious as they walked with the waves lapping against their calfs.
"Hm?" she asked quietly, knowing that that tone was serious and that something big was about to come.
"...Do you still have that anklet?" he asked her, catching her off guard.
"Of course...I've never taken it off,"
"Did I ever tell you it was Atlantian?"
"Uhm...I think once..."
"Did I tell you what it meant?" his hand brushed against hers and she looked away to hide her blush; he caught the shake of her head and continued. "It is a gift of betrothal. A suitor will make it for his intended. The shells, the colors, the string...the pattern is all special between the suitor and his intended."
"Do you remember when I gave it to you?" he asked next, taking her hand.
"We were kids..."
"Yes."
She laughed. "I think we'd known each other for all of a week..."
"And then you disappeared," he said, stopping and looking at her.
Cailan's hair had grown back out in the time she'd been away, long again and plain, the way she liked it. She had regained much of her strength as well, in great thanks to the Amazons-their herbal and healing skills went beyond the medicines of man's world. Some of her scars had healed, other's were all too visible and some were faded marks that almost weren't there. He thought back to the innocent child he'd been when he gave her the token, thought of the innocent babe she'd been when she'd received it.
"But you found me," she said, tilting her head into the hand that hesitated just along the side of her face.
"Cailan," her green eyes met his for just a moment before her new shyness forced them away. "When I made that I had every intention of wedding the one I gave it to. Those intentions have not changed,"
"...you're sure you want me...?" she pulled away.
Kaldur reached for her and took her arms. "Why would I not?"
"But...I'm...what happened...and you're...we're not..." she half whispered, trying to find the words to sum up everything that had surmounted against them.
He could list them in his head: she was under League-Witness Protection, she'd been tortured and once rescued they'd been separated almost to the point of excommunication, and the biggest mountain of all: he was Atlantian and she was a human.
"We have time, plenty of time to find a way. Do you remember my promise?" he said, drawing her into his chest.
"Of course. It's always whispering in my heart to keep me going Kaldur, I'd never let myself forget it." Cailan nuzzled into his neck.
"Then do not worry over what I must tell you," he felt her tense against him but didn't let her withdraw her body.
"Kal-"
"There is something I must do, something dangerous. I am the only one who can. However...it involves a deep cover...one that is known by two others alone. I must do things to keep up the appearance. And, you will hear things-much from the Amazons, and perhaps should you return to the mainlands, you might hear much from our friends as well. They willl be hard to hear, harder to believe.
"I want you to know that no matter how grim it might look, or how bad I may be portrayed in the times to come, it is not true. It is not who I am nor is it who I will become. It is only a mask I must wear for the good of my team and the safety of my friends.
"And..." his voice got quieter and he held her tighter. "I will not be able to see you for some time. How long, I am uncertain. But Cailan I will come back for you, no matter what happens, no matter where you go as long as you wear that anklet I will know I must find you."
He heard the sadness on her voice as she jested with him in reply. "And here I thought I'd have to ask the Amazon's to sew me a wedding dress,"
When he looked at her her eyes were glistening with tears and her smile quivered up at him.
He kissed her forehead.
"Do not dismiss that thought just yet, it would be a sight indeed to see a wedding dress made by Amazonian hands. To see you in it would be a sight beyond that,"
"I'll wait here for you," she said, her voice much more solid than her eyes.
"Cailan-"
"No. I'm going to wait here, secluded from everything until you come back," she said; he heard the vow on her voice.
"Then you have made my task of finding you again all the easier."
"...I guess...now we say goodbye?" she asked, her voice hushed again, hard for him to hear above the waves.
"For this moment, I suppose we do,"
"Be careful Kaldur," she kissed his hand as he turned from her.
"I will come back Cailan, I love you."
A/N:
The idea for this epilogue just came to me. It also lead into an idea for a possible sequal to Codename: Cailan, for anyone who might be interested in reading one. :] let me know what you think!
Also, if you'd like to meet Cailan and see what she looks like, you can go to this website:
"Amazons do not usually make exceptions to their rules," Kaldur mused teasingly as he looked into her green eyes.
She shrugged back. "Technically, this isn't the shore...it's still the ocean so we're still in your waters," Cailan joked back.
Their time apart had made them shy, like a pale bloom to a spring rose. His courting had become...long distance and they'd done so much growing between them that it was as if they'd started over.
"Cailan," his voice was low and serious as they walked with the waves lapping against their calfs.
"Hm?" she asked quietly, knowing that that tone was serious and that something big was about to come.
"...Do you still have that anklet?" he asked her, catching her off guard.
"Of course...I've never taken it off,"
"Did I ever tell you it was Atlantian?"
"Uhm...I think once..."
"Did I tell you what it meant?" his hand brushed against hers and she looked away to hide her blush; he caught the shake of her head and continued. "It is a gift of betrothal. A suitor will make it for his intended. The shells, the colors, the string...the pattern is all special between the suitor and his intended."
"Do you remember when I gave it to you?" he asked next, taking her hand.
"We were kids..."
"Yes."
She laughed. "I think we'd known each other for all of a week..."
"And then you disappeared," he said, stopping and looking at her.
Cailan's hair had grown back out in the time she'd been away, long again and plain, the way she liked it. She had regained much of her strength as well, in great thanks to the Amazons-their herbal and healing skills went beyond the medicines of man's world. Some of her scars had healed, other's were all too visible and some were faded marks that almost weren't there. He thought back to the innocent child he'd been when he gave her the token, thought of the innocent babe she'd been when she'd received it.
"But you found me," she said, tilting her head into the hand that hesitated just along the side of her face.
"Cailan," her green eyes met his for just a moment before her new shyness forced them away. "When I made that I had every intention of wedding the one I gave it to. Those intentions have not changed,"
"...you're sure you want me...?" she pulled away.
Kaldur reached for her and took her arms. "Why would I not?"
"But...I'm...what happened...and you're...we're not..." she half whispered, trying to find the words to sum up everything that had surmounted against them.
He could list them in his head: she was under League-Witness Protection, she'd been tortured and once rescued they'd been separated almost to the point of excommunication, and the biggest mountain of all: he was Atlantian and she was a human.
"We have time, plenty of time to find a way. Do you remember my promise?" he said, drawing her into his chest.
"Of course. It's always whispering in my heart to keep me going Kaldur, I'd never let myself forget it." Cailan nuzzled into his neck.
"Then do not worry over what I must tell you," he felt her tense against him but didn't let her withdraw her body.
"Kal-"
"There is something I must do, something dangerous. I am the only one who can. However...it involves a deep cover...one that is known by two others alone. I must do things to keep up the appearance. And, you will hear things-much from the Amazons, and perhaps should you return to the mainlands, you might hear much from our friends as well. They willl be hard to hear, harder to believe.
"I want you to know that no matter how grim it might look, or how bad I may be portrayed in the times to come, it is not true. It is not who I am nor is it who I will become. It is only a mask I must wear for the good of my team and the safety of my friends.
"And..." his voice got quieter and he held her tighter. "I will not be able to see you for some time. How long, I am uncertain. But Cailan I will come back for you, no matter what happens, no matter where you go as long as you wear that anklet I will know I must find you."
He heard the sadness on her voice as she jested with him in reply. "And here I thought I'd have to ask the Amazon's to sew me a wedding dress,"
When he looked at her her eyes were glistening with tears and her smile quivered up at him.
He kissed her forehead.
"Do not dismiss that thought just yet, it would be a sight indeed to see a wedding dress made by Amazonian hands. To see you in it would be a sight beyond that,"
"I'll wait here for you," she said, her voice much more solid than her eyes.
"Cailan-"
"No. I'm going to wait here, secluded from everything until you come back," she said; he heard the vow on her voice.
"Then you have made my task of finding you again all the easier."
"...I guess...now we say goodbye?" she asked, her voice hushed again, hard for him to hear above the waves.
"For this moment, I suppose we do,"
"Be careful Kaldur," she kissed his hand as he turned from her.
"I will come back Cailan, I love you."
A/N:
The idea for this epilogue just came to me. It also lead into an idea for a possible sequal to Codename: Cailan, for anyone who might be interested in reading one. :] let me know what you think!
Also, if you'd like to meet Cailan and see what she looks like, you can go to this website:
: / / . / # / q
and there's Cailan! It is a rough draft however, as I have had no time to go back and fine tune her image.
Also, if anyone has had the notion to draw her or write about her or whathaveyou, I'd love love love to see/read/experience your work on her! :] pm me with the links to your own works! 3 much love and thanks for reading this story!