Chapter 32

He turned over the paintball gun in his hand, wondering how premeditated she was as their time in Iceland, and thus her time to prepare her surprise, had been limited.

"With so many square kilometers and so few people around, I'm sure we can find a nice spot to indulge in this crazy fantasy that settled itself in my mind."

"Quite so."

His face now held a mischievous grin of his own. Clarice swiftly realized the reason for his mirth.

"There's not that many people that called me crazy, and still live, you know..." she said, and raised her own paintball gun to his chest as well as one of her eyebrows.

"As goes for me."

He raised his gun as well.

"I'm gonna win," she stated immediately.

"And how's that?"

"You're obviously not used to firearms. I'm gonna enjoy this so much..."

"We'll see, Clarice. Don't sell the skin before the bear has been shot, as the Dutch say."

"Wijsneus..." [MB]

Two hours later, once again in their hotel room, Hannibal gently brushed his fingers along the raised red welt centered just above Clarice's breasts.

"That's a kill shot, you know." She sounded annoyed as she stated the obvious.

Rather than acknowledge his victory he leaned down to kiss her bruised skin. "I hadn't realized the paintballs would leave such marks. Aren't children even encouraged to play?"

Clarice gave a sardonic smile "Children are also encouraged to shoot real guns, at least in the US, which is where paintballing originated."

"Ah," he said, without further comment.

Another frustrated sound escaped her as she traced her fingers along several bruises on his arms, sorry to have hurt him but also sorry to have lost. "You surprised me today. The way you anticipated my moves."

He squeezed her hand then stood up to stretch, turning his bare back to her and revealing several more welts. "I don't know guns as well as you do, don't possess your skill with them, but I know you. Not to say that you're predictable, love, you're anything but that. But from time to time I do get lucky in anticipating your choices."

She grinned. "You get lucky, huh?" She shook her head and stood. "I'm heading to the shower to ease these aches and pains. You're welcome to join me if you'd like to get lucky again." [D]

"You know me too well, my Love. I'd never miss out on a chance to scrub your back."

Clarice let out a hiccup of laughter.

"No, you wouldn't, would you? Now, get in here..." she said as she playfully dropped her panties to the floor.

.

I'm... at a loss for words. It's almost - when I leave out the cold, forget about it - like home. A rough country, and pure. Like Cabo da Roca. Aqui, onde a terra se acaba e o mar começa... Where the land ends and the sea begins. Or like Cabo de São Vicent with its high cliffs rising straight up from the ocean. Yeah, that's it. As rough and pure as home.

I'm sure Cibrán feels it, too. He won't say it, but I know he does. He trembles sometimes.

Tremble...

As the earth trembled in February, the day Cibrán killed mother. Right after he killed her...

That's when he lost it. That's when he fled. That's when we fled. I should not have gone with him but now it's too late... Too late for us, too late for me.

.

"If I tremble in your presence, it is not fear that drives me."

The blush on her face was marvelous. Matters of life and death, the hobbies he'd sported and the deeds he'd done, all that could be discussed with her without raising as much as an eyebrow - figuratively speaking - yet the most sincere declaration of love moved her immensely. He was mightily pleased with the fact. But she'd have to work on it not to show it. One day, it could mean the edge they might need. [MB]

She smiled at him, her face still tinted red. "That's because you don't feel fear, not the way us mere mortals do." She winked at him and continued packing.

His mind flashed to her lying on the sidewalk, a pool of blood gathering beneath her while the brothers dashed away. Ah, you're wrong, my dear. You have the ability to make my heart stutter in terror.

"I wouldn't go that far, especially with the day's activities you've planned for us. I'm- dare I say- anxious?" he said.

She smirked, "You better save your daring for later in the day, I think we're both going to need it." Then she paused, studying him. "Are you okay with this? We don't have to do it if you don't want to."

"Oh, I'm on board, not to worry. It's not a recreational activity I fully understand or would choose to pursue on my own, but let it be known I'm supportive of my partner."

She smiled. "Partner, huh? I don't think you've called me that before."

His face gentled. "What are we, if not partners?"

"True, very true," she said without further comment, and he knew he had rattled her again. Ah, Clarice.

Twenty minutes later they checked out of their room, still covered in welts from the previous day's fun. Hannibal hoped their next adventure left them with mere bruises only. He'd rather not experience a compound fracture before sunset. [D]

.

There is always something the matter with a bad child. Why did she have to say that? Stupid woman. I made her pay for it, she won't be nagging the kid ever again. Just like mother. Wouldn't let me go to Iceland, can you believe that? Bitch. Well, she's gone now. I killed her. Yeah, I killed her and the earth trembled. The earth will tremble again when we get to Iceland, I know it. I will kill Frederico there and the earth will tremble again. What a loser! He almost let her go yesterday, just like in Munich. I can still feel the blood. What a rush when you ladle it with your bare hands and splatter it all around! I saw the black lake and painted it red. You have been assassinated by me and assimilated by Lake Sørvágsvatn, bitch!

.

While not a pastime he'd pursue on his own, Hannibal found climbing this massive, frozen waterfall to pique his interest. Clarice had chosen a secluded location and their bodies were the only things besides the watery sun that produced warmth. Their breathing released vapors like the breath of a sleeping white dragon. He preferred to hide in plain sight, yet this absolute loneliness -its absolute opposite - felt completely different from any remoteness, seclusion or even solitary confinement he normally avoided. As with flower arrangements: too many flowers is too many, but way too many is just right. Apparently, it applied to solitude as well. His senses registered all his and her movements with unprecedented precision. In this dead silent place he felt alive, more than ever.

Clarice was making the final preparations. Before they started she'd begun to explain to him the basics, but, due to his uncanny abilities and already present knowledge, he had swiftly extrapolated the techniques and demonstrated mastership of the gear. Yet she insisted he would follow her lead, just to be sure.

She anchored two ropes to the top of the frozen waterfall and Hannibal moved into position to hike down to the bottom. She wanted him to precede in order to check on him during his first steps. Once safely down, she'd follow. [MB]

His breath fogging in front of him and the hard, white snow crunching beneath his booted feet, he managed to complete the descent without incident. Soon he heard Clarice following, her steps measured and cautious. It was early yet, the weak sun just starting to climb the gray, clouded sky, but she'd been adamant that they wanted to be done before noon's stronger rays could weaken the ice pillars. Apparently their top ropes afforded them limited safety. They would keep them from falling, an excellent benefit considering the sharp and deadly monstrosities called crampons they were about to secure to their boots—just think where those spikes could lodge in a fall—but the ropes would do nothing to protect them from hundreds of pounds of jagged, falling ice.

Hannibal smiled. It was exhilarating.

Though his heartrate remained steady and true, tendrils of anticipating unfurled in his chest as he looked up at the frozen wall for a long moment before turning to meet Clarice's smiling visage.

"Race you to the top?"

She laughed, "Not quite. If we were just rock climbing, I'd set us up with a fireman's belay. But with the very real possibility of falling ice, I'd rather not have either of us standing down here."

"So my life is in my own hands?"

"Pretty much, yeah. So slow and steady wins the race." She stretched up to kiss him. "Ready?"

"Always," he said, and pressed his lips to hers for a longer kiss. They wrestled their feet into the crampons then he watched her tie in, connecting her harness to the top rope in a figure eight knot. He mimicked her movements and at her nod of approval they started to climb. [D]

A/N (MB): The line "If I tremble in your presence, it is not fear that drives me." is a quote from BookishGal's fanfic Breaking Free, first installment of a trilogy, an hommage, as the trilogy is among my top three fanfics.