Chapt 25

"Are you sure?" Said Erik.

"Positive," said Elaine. Yet, a little quiver in her voice betrayed her.

"If you want to reconsider, now is the time," Erik asked again. He was holding her hands gently in his. Elaine was sure he was sensing just a bit of her doubt. His pale green eyes looked deeply into hers. They mesmerized her sometimes.

"No, no. I can do this, Erik. I want to do this," she replied.

Erik smiled to himself as he studied her face, which was decorated with the gorgeous expression of excited anticipation. She flashed that amiable smile again, squeezed his hands one last time, then let them go.

"Now, Erik, before I change my mind."

Elaine looked up into the green canopy, then took another look at the man before her; she trusted Erik immensely. Erik took a step back.

"Well then, here we go," he said.

Erik reached down and picked up a rope, which he tied to the harness around his slim hips and waist. He looked one more time to Elaine, who had not changed her position. Leaping upward, he grabbed the rope, pulling it down, hand over hand quickly. Elaine shouted out with glee as the harness around her pulled her upward into the canopy. She felt the rush of air past her face, and shut her eyes, holding her breath.

My, this feels incredibly fast. How can he lift me that fast?

"Ok, Elaine, jump onto that branch now!" He shouted, from a frightening number of feet below her. She opened her eyes, grabbed at the branch in front of her and seated herself astride. She was surprised to find the large bough rather easy to sit on, now that she was dressed comfortably in Erik's clothes.

Do not look down.

Elaine remembered him drumming that into her head. She concentrated on looking outward, over the gorgeous landscape like he said to. Elaine had never looked at her home from this vantage point before. What a splendid view it was.

The cattle spotted the fields below, and the workers were buzzing around the houses. The fields of wildflowers were positively brilliant, the colors changing as they moved in the mild breeze. There was a constant rustling filling the air as leaves met leaves; an occasional bird broke into song to punctuate the natural harmony.

The tree he took her to for her first "flying lesson" as he called it, was the Tower; the big old man on the edge of a bluff overlooking the wide river and the lush lands of Capellen manor. The rope wrapped around her harness stayed taught as Erik fastened it to a sturdy branch at the base of the tree. He checked it twice. This safety line was protecting something precious. Erik quickly scaled the wide trunk of the tree, making just enough noise to announce his arrival but not so much as to startle her. He settled onto the large bough behind her and wrapped his arms around her, provoking a little gasp on her part. She looked back at him. He was so close now.

"Just being careful, my Lady. Just a little extra measure of safety," Erik spoke softly in her ear. "Do you like the view?" Elaine nodded quickly, turning her smiling face and wide eyes to the landscape once more.

So do I. He thought, his eye resting on the silhouette of her face, outlined by the gentle tendrils of her hair. The rest of the sweet-scented softness was pulled back loosely in a bun. Erik breathed in her fresh, characteristic scent. It was difficult for him to be this close to her and resist the urge to put his lips on her outstretched neck.

Erik had made a promise to himself; to keep their relationship as just friends until his memory had returned. The fact was, however, that the closeness and familiarity they had become accustomed to had gone way beyond the bounds that any friendship should. He closed his eyes and melted into her. He smiled, remembering what brought them here.

Elaine went for walks through the woods surrounding the manor during the evening practically every day. She would laugh when Erik, perched up in the treetops like a bird, would drop flowers or leaves around her. Erik climbed trees often; climbing was good exercise for his flexible frame and kept him extremely robust. He would sit in the trees for hours on end with an internal symphony playing in his mind, composing at a furious rate. It was as if the part of his mind that was once filled with old memories was trying to fill itself with music.

Elaine had constantly asked Erik to describe what he saw from the treetops. Being afraid of heights, she was unable to scale the trees with him, despite her agility. She had not been afraid of heights as a child; these fears developed later, as a part of the same terror that gripped her since Paris. After some discussion and persuasion on his part, Erik picked out the tree, attached a pulley system and they planned her first flight. She was successful on this, her third and last attempt.

Up in the boughs of the Tower, Elaine leaned back into Erik, settling into his arms comfortably, her eyes roaming the landscape with wonder. Erik felt the now familiar ache in his heart as her warm body laid against his. She felt so correct, so right. Sometimes, Erik thought that he could not continue with this charade, that he would have to risk telling her how he felt, embarking upon something more deep with Elaine. It was getting to the point where he would have to kiss her, or stop the closeness they had developed. He did not know which would make him go mad first; being with her only in this capacity, or being without her touch.

Elaine placed her warm hands on the arms wrapped around her. She loved the way she felt around Erik; sensual, desired, a woman adored. She longed to hold him in an intimate sense, kiss him, share love with him one day. The close friendship they developed was just a tease to her; a necessary deception masking her feelings until his past was revealed. She wanted to make sure he did not have a lover to return to. Despite his appearance, Elaine believed the man holding her could have a woman who loved him. She did not want to begin anything with Erik, to spare him having to decide whose heart would be broken.

As for him, Erik was fairly certain he was not attached, but he knew the name: Christine. It wandered into his thoughts at the most inopportune times. The presence of her memory, and his lack of knowing her significance in his life bothered him to no end. He had drawn a vague picture of a beautiful brown haired woman one day that he was sure was her. He was hoping Christine would turn out to be a relative, a sister, but his internal cues suggested otherwise. There were also the faint memories of atrocities and brutal thoughts that haunted him, sometimes associated with her. He did not like what he saw of that part of himself.

Elaine reached up and back, rubbing her knuckle against Erik's chest, bringing him all at once into the present. He stirred against her,

"Elaine, please stop." He said, heart aching. Despite what his mouth said, he pressed his face into her dark blonde hair, kissing her head.

"I wonder if we are doing the right thing. Life is to short, don't you think?" She said, thinking aloud.

Her arm reached up to around his neck and she looked up at him. She was now only inches away; she felt the muscles in his neck tense up, and then relax. His eyes closed for a second, and she saw in his face that he was enjoying her touch. Their closeness was playing tricks with her resolve and his ability to resist her. Abruptly, his eyes opened. He looked at her and sighed.

"I think it is time to descend now. I do not want vertigo to grab hold of you." He said, standing up, seemingly ignoring her last statement. Elaine tucked away her disappointment.

Still, he remains just beyond my reach. He continues to hold back.

Erik climbed down the tree first and undid her safety line. Elaine followed, on her own, staying close to the tree trunk as he held the rope securely, allowing the loose safety line to follow. He studied her during her descent; she looked quite attractive in his clothes. Erik had insisted she change because she would not have been able to climb trees in a dress. The required uniform had some unintended benefits; the tailored cut leaving little to be imagined of her feminine form. She had wrapped his shirt around her and fastened it such that it was actually quite feminine and alluring.

After she stepped away from the tree, he helped her out of the harness and kissed her hand.

"I agree with you, life is too short. We must fly again, and soon, my Lady." He always kissed her palm and the inside of her wrist, not only the top of the hand; this gesture being so much more intimate. She smiled as his lips sent a chill up her arm right to her heart. He did hear her.

Gathering up their supplies, they traveled in close proximity back towards the manor house. They followed the trail a while, then they veered off, taking a shortcut across the hayfield. Erik remained a little detached, debating whether he should tell Elaine that he was planning a trip to Paris. She was intuititve enough to know a trip like that could mean the discovery of his past, and an end to his present. But he was enjoying the silence, so he decided not to say anything.

"See there–the hawk, flying upwards", Elaine said, gripping his arm and pointing to the right as they walked slowly through the fields. "I have always envied birds, they are so free. But when you see the hawks and how they accost their meals midair, you realize that with freedom is a risk: Fear of death, fear of starvation. For all good things there is a price."

Erik threw his head back and looked up at the hawk, circling around, and rising effortlessly on a column of warmed air. He loved the strength, the elegance of these birds of prey.

"I did not notice it before." He said.

"It is probably because you allow your hair to cover your eyes, Erik. You miss things. And I am afraid you will hurt yourself when you go climbing for lack of vision." Elaine returned, releasing a little of the annoyance she had with the way he insisted on wearing his hair. His hair had grown long and thick, such that with little urging, it hung over the right side of his head, covering the patch of scalp that was bare and obscuring his scars. But it also blocked his right eye to a degree. He had gotten quite used to it. Elaine loved to see his pale green eyes, both, together, especially in the brightness of the day. They were so expressive, they changed with the lighting, his clothes and his moods.

"At least you will not have to be subjected to my countenance. I usually pull it back when I exercise so do not worry yourself, Elaine." He looked to his side, but he was now walking unaccompanied. He halted and looked back behind him. There Elaine stood, several paces away, face serious, looking at him intensely. "What is it?" He said, confused by her actions.

"Have I ever told you that I do not wish to be 'subject to your countenance'?" Elaine said.

"No…" he said, still confused.

"Have I ever given you the feeling that your appearance, your deformity bothers me at all?" She had walked up to him in a few swift strides.

"No. You are too kind a lady to say such things," he replied. Elaine groaned her disapproval.

"Have I ever seemed more comfortable around you when your face is covered, compared with when it is not?" She said, approaching him, standing directly in front.

"No. I did not mean…"

"Then why do you think you are doing me a favor by covering that which is a part of you? That which you cannot change?" She said, her hazel eyes flashing. Erik stared at her.

"Because I am usually more comfortable when it is covered. When others cannot see my scars, I don't have to see the look in their eyes. It is not always pleasant. I had just assumed you would be more comfortable…"

"Don't confuse me with anyone else, Erik. They don't care about you like I do!" She snapped. Erik did not know how to respond.

"I am sorry, Elaine." He just wanted to stop her from ranting at him.

"When you first awoke, the very thing you first did was to cover your face. I had hoped that you would trust me enough by now, and know me well enough to not hide from me, Erik. Or to say things like that. Your face is a part of you that I accepted from the very first moment I saw you. It hurts me to see how much your appearance overshadows you. You are such a wonderful, complex being inside. That is what I see when I look at you." Her voice cracked with her last statement. Erik was touched.

How can I prevent myself from falling in love with this woman? God help me.

Elaine took a minute to look at Erik carefully. So many emotions were crossing his face.

He finds it so hard to believe he can be accepted, loved, for who he is. Enough is enough. I can't take it anymore.

On impulse, Elaine leaned up to him and took his face in her hands. She had been waiting for so long to do this. She planted a full wet kiss upon his lips.

It was like being struck by lightning for him. Erik stood barely moving, barely breathing as her kiss sank into him. Her soft, sweet lips on his felt too good to be true. She pushed the hair away from his face to behind his ear. Slowly, gently she kissed along the deformity on his cheek. Each tender, sensuous kiss left a burning trail on his skin. He sank down to his knees as her kisses, soft and moist, caressed his face. The heart that had been standing still in his chest started to pound. It echoed in his ears, all else became silent. His arms felt weak, heavy as he lifted them to surround this beautiful woman, kissing him. She was kissing him, his face; his scarred, ugly face. He breathed in heavily.

As he fell to his knees, she followed. She held his face gently, continuing to kiss his cheek, his chin, his forehead and closed eyes, covering his face with her acceptance. She tasted the salt water coming from his eyes. The green orbs opened and stared at her with adoration, then sadness.

"You don't have to do this, Elaine," he said as his heart ached, hoping against hope that she was not kissing him out of pity. He would not be able to live with that.

"Erik, I have wanted to kiss you for an eternity," She sighed, wrapping her arms around his neck. She pressed her lips to his again. Their mouths opened and tongues hungry to taste each other entwined. Her hand pressed against the back of his head as their impassioned kiss continued. She pushed her body against his. His skin awoke with her warmth.

His arms found new life as he wrapped them around her graceful, slender frame. The feel of her against him filled his soul, which was ripping open to allow her in. He allowed his hands to enjoy the sensation of caressing her back and shoulders, and down beyond her tapered waist. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and pulled her onto him, even closer.

They fell over into the tall grass, mouths searching for skin, breath hot with passion, hands reaching under clothing to touch each other's body, to find the things they had been yearning to feel. With all the movement, her already loose clothing had opened, revealing the soft, fair skin of her neck and bosom, visibly flushed underneath the masculine clothes. Her hair had loosened as well, hanging over her shoulders seductively.

He took a moment to sit up with her and hold her away from him, his eyes tracing every inch of the skin on her gorgeous face, her languid neck, and to the glowing landscape revealed by her wayward clothing.

She looked at his face, seeing his eyes burning with desire. She felt his fingers gently trace where his eyes had just wandered, thrilling her with their slowness. Those hands she had seen gently stroke the keys of the piano were now playing her, like an instrument longing to sing.

She ran her hands underneath his loosened shirt, feeling the muscles of his well defined chest, shoulders and back underneath her fingertips, against her palms. His body shivered with her touch. Her hands buried themselves in his hair as she felt him move his hands all over her body, his lips moving slowly down her neck…

Erik relished every sensation, every signal from his wandering fingers. They traveled over her curves, and dallied in her valleys before climbing her peaks. Pressed firmly against her neck, his lips felt her pulse pounding rapidly under the skin. He heard a little sigh escape from her, and looked up to find her luscious lips parting, her head tilting back with rapture, her eyes fluttering. Her obvious enjoyment of his caresses awoke the fires of passion within him. He could not believe that his touch, his attentions could be causing this much mutual pleasure, this much beauty.

This is not pity…this is ecstasy.