Xena: "I let my fear and hatred blind me to everything."
Gabrielle: "Sometimes the past can do that. If I had been through ..."
Xena: "No. You understand hatred, but you've never given in to it. You don't know how much I love ... that."
"Mother! Mother! You're back!" they all heard when Constance neared the door to her home and two young girls came flying out with a squeal.
They threw their arms around their mother's neck, nearly toppling the crouching physician over. Constance was usually rather reserved and ever so slightly gloomy, but now she had a wide, relieved smile on her face. She looked like she wanted to hug the life out of the girls and Arielle smiled as she observed the three person bundle of happiness from afar.
"You hurt, Mama?" the younger asked with wide eyed excitement.
"Did you kill anyone? Did you see any monsters?" the older asked with curiosity.
"Did Eden kill you, Mama? Are you dead?"
Arielle did a bad job of trying to stifle a giggle and looked over at the warrior who folded her arms and raised an eyebrow at the child's question.
"No, my dear ones, I'm not dead, I'm quite fine." Constance replied cheerfully, "I didn't see any monsters, but I did bring some visitors."
The girls now turned their gaze to the pair standing behind their mother. The smiles left their faces and were replaced with a suspicious fear that their mother immediately sensed.
"It's alright, don't be afraid." she soothed.
"But mother, isn't that... her?" the older one noted, pointing a hesitant finger at the warrior.
"They're... friends." Constance explained with slight hesitation, pushing her daughter's finger down and then rising and turning towards the two friends, "And I hope they'll accept my humble hospitality since they went out of their way to escort me here."
Eden opened her mouth to give the physician a whole list of excuses of why they couldn't stay, but the bard was faster.
"Of course. It would be our pleasure." Arielle replied.
Constance smiled and turned back to her children while Arielle turned to the warrior who she knew was glaring at her. Eden's look asked her why she was making them stay while Arielle's look told her that it was the right thing to do.
"Be nice." she whispered near Eden's ear as they went to stable Arion.
"Well, she's still alive, isn't she?" Eden replied lazily, half teasing.
Eden had insisted that they escort the physician when she mentioned that she wanted to go straight home. The warrior felt it was the least she could do in return for Constance's help. Some distance outside the city, Aldric and Lawrence rode onward after Eden told them around a thousand times that they would be just fine without them. The three women continued towards Constance's home and their journey was a rather quiet one with only the bard and umbra sometimes exchanging a few remarks while the brooding warrior kept an eye on their surroundings and them.
It was only now that the two friends began to really notice the deplorable condition of the umbra's dwelling and land. The broken fence marked off a small plot of land that had a little garden full of weeds and a hovel in rather tragic condition. Arielle didn't need a carpenter to see that the roof needed repair, the doors were hanging crooked on their hinges, and the windows were either cracked or simply replaced by oily paper. Even Eden was taken back by the state of the physician's home.
"They shouldn't have to live like this." the bard stated, turning towards Eden.
Although the warrior agreed, she didn't consider it her problem. But there was already a specific look in the blond's eyes that announced that thoughts, ideas, and plans were beginning to formulate in her head.
"What do you want me to do?" the warrior asked with a shrug, suggesting it was a rather hopeless situation.
"I don't know, but they can't continue to live like this. Think of the children." Arielle continued and paused for a moment, "Perhaps some more work would help?"
"The only thing an umbra earning a decent living in the Holy City would do is rally an angry mob." Eden reasoned, "She's risking her life among the Hospitallers as it is."
"There must be something that we can do." Arielle implored.
"We can't save everyone in the world." Eden admitted somewhat grimly as she gathered Arion's reins and walked towards the small barn.
Arielle watched the warrior walk off with the same slumped shoulders she had. Eden was put in a difficult situation: Constance was an umbra and Eden shouldn't even be talking to her, much less helping her. But on the other hand, the physician had helped her without question or reward. And she knew that it would bother Arielle and her sensitivity to the suffering of others would wear away at the bard until she found a solution. So Eden walked slowly to clear her head a little, trying to balance the scales between rules and compassion, two things the warrior was never really fond of.
"Forgive me for the state of things here." Constance apologized, her shame evident on her face, as she scurried around picking up little things and looking out for the little girls wandering close to her legs.
"Please don't make such a fuss." Arielle said as she walked in, feeling a little self conscious, "Perhaps I can help you with something?"
Constance gave her a look between being relieved and appalled. Arielle didn't wait for the umbra to decide between the two and set to straightening out the table. Constance looked on for a few moments as she began to understand how the seemingly delicate bard could halt and calm the storm that Eden sometimes was. When the warrior returned, the two women were placing bread and cheese on the set table as the children kept close to their mother, still wary of the visitors. They began to eat quietly after Eden sat down at one end of the table and Constance coaxed her children into sitting at the other end, asking in a whisper to stop staring at the warrior. When they finished eating, the two girls took the dishes away and went to their room, leaving the women to themselves.
"I have no ale or wine unfortunately, but maybe you'd like some tea?" Constance asked hopefully, setting a pot over the fire in the hearth.
"That would be just fine." Arielle replied.
Without a word, the bard rose and went to get some cups and Eden watched as Constance watched the bard with grateful disbelief. Eden would have helped too, but she knew that her presence frightened more than helped and decided that sitting still was the best option. When the water came to a boil, Constance poured them some tea and then took her seat.
"Lamech would be ashamed of the state of things here." Constance murmured after a while of silence, her shame coming to the surface.
The bard opened her mouth to say something, but actually found herself at a loss for words. There was nothing that she could really say to the poor woman whose husband was murdered and whom nearly no one cared about. It must be such a debilitating and frigid feeling to be left so alone and forgotten. The bard wondered if it was something close to what Eden must have felt when her family was killed and she was left to roam the earth alone. Arielle wanted to help, but she didn't know what to say that wouldn't come out childish or naïve.
"What happened to your husband... it was unjust." Eden said slowly, her face stoic.
Constance turned her eyes to the stern guardian. The weight of that statement meant more to her than any condolences from those who didn't understand her loss. Eden was right in saying that they were natural enemies and the physician knew quite well that if Eden and Lamech had ever met in real life, it would have probably ended in a fight to the death. But the warrior saw her pain and understood it and knew it was enough of a burden to carry, especially if it had to be carried alone. Constance nodded once in recognition and looked down at the table.
"He repented and after that we simply wanted to be left alone. He was betrayed by a brother in arms for a few gold pieces... He wanted to build us a beautiful home here... A small garden for me to keep... the girls would have a place to play..." Constance slowly explained as if each word was painful and then looked up at Eden with both dread and hope in her eyes, "Do you think Lamech... burns in Hell?"
Eden felt all the eyes in the room turn to her. This was the dangerous part of guardianship where people wanted to know more than they should or that was beyond their understanding. It was easy to give false comfort, a simple word or image for someone to hold onto. But Eden wasn't going to let her drink from a sea of empty words and kept to the truth.
"I don't know."
Constance nodded once, exhaled loudly, leaned back in her chair and furrowed her brows in thought. A loud opening and slamming of a door brought the bard and warrior to their feet while the physician remained in her seat, used to her sometimes noisy daughters. The girls came running in and hopped onto their mother.
"Not afraid of our visitors anymore?" Constance asked teasingly, "Oh, you left the window open again, didn't you?"
The girls slipped off their mother as she rose to go and close the window.
"Excuse me, lady." Eden heard a small, yet determined voice say and felt a tug on her tunic.
Eden peered down to see the older of the daughters looking up at her with a mixture of fear and determination, holding her younger sister's hand as she hid slightly behind. The warrior didn't know whether to be amused or insulted so she simply raised a curious eyebrow.
"Don't hurt my mother," the girl ordered, "or I'll have to hurt you."
"We hurt you!" the younger piped up and in a short fit of bravery let go of her sister, slapped the warrior on the thigh with her palm, and then looked up to see the reaction.
Eden admired their tenacity and was amused by their show of loyalty towards their mother. But Eden decided to let her reputation hang over them a little longer. She reached down and grabbed the younger girl by the front of her tunic and hoisted her up with ease. She was now hanging from Eden's grip, her legs dangling in the air, her eyes level with the warrior's. Constance returned, gasped, and immediately made a dash towards her child. But Arielle stopped her with her arm and gave her a calm look that told her that there was nothing to fear. So Constance watched them with curious anticipation. Eden simply glared at the younger girl and gave a very low, glottal growl while the little girl just stared back.
"Don't eat me." the little one muttered matter-of-factly, putting her thumb in her mouth.
Eden snorted so loudly that the older daughter jumped in fright while Arielle tried to suppress a laugh and Constance sighed in relief.
"You're lucky I'm full." Eden replied in a low voice.
Eden put the child down and she scampered over to her mother who scooped her up in her arms.
"Mama, I'm not eaten!" the girl exclaimed enthusiastically and wrapped her arms around her mother's neck.
Eden turned to look at Arielle who was smiling at her. It touched the bard's heart to see Eden show a slight gentleness that the warrior hardly ever showed to anyone apart from the blond. And if she ever thought that Eden might be capable of hurting a child, she was now more than convinced she couldn't.
"I'm not afraid of you." the older daughter said defiantly, looking up at Eden and crossing her arms.
Eden looked back down at the older daughter who stood visibly unsure of whether to run or be brave, but stubbornly choosing the latter. Eden took a long, silent stare at the child.
"Then you're foolish." the warrior stated shortly and then crouched down until she was eye level with the girl, "And very brave."
Eden stood back up as the young girl blinked a few times, trying to understand. She turned to look at her mother who smiled at her and decided that a good thing had happened and walked over to join her mother with a proud smile on her face.
"These are my little bundles of joy." Constance introduced, "This is the younger one, Adela. And that is the older one, Sarah."
"Hello." Adela babbled out, staring at Arielle with interest.
"Hello, Adela. My name is Arielle. It's a pleasure to meet you." the bard replied, stepping forward, taking the little girl's hand, and curtsying.
"Your hair is pretty." the little one noticed, reaching out and somewhat clumsily pulling her fingers through Arielle's blond strands, "Looks like cheese."
"No," Sarah interjected, shaking her head while observing the bard and as her mother looked on in amused shock, "it's like a wheat field."
"No," Eden suddenly said quietly from across the table and in that low voice that sent a pleasant shiver down Arielle's spine, "it's the color of the setting summer sun."
Arielle turned and gave the warrior a bashful, loving look from underneath her lashes. The warrior then noticed that she had actually voiced that thought out loud and betrayed somewhat of a panicked look before the corners of her lips curled upward into a soft smile under the bard's stare.
"It's sometimes difficult to tell who the bard is." Constance commented happily, seeing the care and fondness pass between the two.
Eden shot her a glare and her smile was gone back underneath her usual stoic and slightly annoyed expression. Constance couldn't help but chuckle. Wars, demons, and death couldn't distract the warrior, but when Eden looked at Arielle, she almost forgot about the rest of the world.
"Who are you? You a queen?" Adela asked the bard.
"No. I'm a bard."
"You tell stories?!" Sarah exclaimed and clasped her hands, almost reminding Eden of a small version of Helen, "Would you tell us one, please?"
"Sarah!" Constance scolded gently.
"What? I said please." the girl explained.
"Of course I can tell you a story. What kind of story do you want to hear?"
Constance reluctantly let her daughters take over as they all sat back down, Arielle thought over the stories she knew, and Eden secretly hoped it wouldn't be one about her.
"About a princess!" Adela offered.
"And a dragon! And a prince who slays it!" Sarah added.
Arielle laughed, made herself comfortable, and began to tell the story. It took no more than two minutes for everyone around the table to be completely captivated by the tale. Eden noticed there was a gentle, warm hum to the bard's voice that somehow relaxed the constant tension in Eden's body. And there was that nearly magical way that Arielle described things that made Eden sometimes think that she had never experienced those colors, sounds, and smells before since the ones Arielle described were just so much more vivid. To anyone else, the warrior looked like she might just fall asleep, but the bard noticed the tension in her muscles and the alertness in her gaze that meant that there was always a part of the warrior that was on guard.
The girls squealed with such delight when the story was over that they coaxed two more out of the bard before their mother told them that that was enough.
"If you wait, I'll arrange something for the girls and you can have the bed-"
"That's absolutely out of the question." Arielle injected and shook her head vehemently, "We'll do just fine in the barn."
"The barn?" Constance cried out in shock, "It's so drafty and cold in there!"
"We're used to much worse. Besides, the nights are still rather warm."
"I can't allow for that."
"Well, let's just say that it's already decided."
"Well, this is still my home and you are my guests."
"Eden," Arielle said, turning to the warrior, "could you please make Constance understand that the barn is just fine?"
For a moment the physician worried that making her understand might involve breaking her bones or setting her house on fire. But Eden simply looked at her as she folded her arms across her chest and lifted an eyebrow.
"Fine!" Constance immediately said, surrendering, "I know that there's no winning an argument with you."
"Then it's settled." Arielle concluded happily and gathered their things, "Sleep well."
Arielle walked over to Eden and they both made their way out to the barn.
"Sometimes, I'm glad you have that reputation of yours." the blond acknowledged cheerfully and Eden only snorted.
Eden arranged a sleeping space for them and soon the warrior was lying on her back with a happy though tired bard curled around her.
"Those girls are adorable." Arielle mumbled into Eden's shoulder.
"They really liked your stories. Everyone did."
"Because I'm the bard around here." the blond asserted sleepily, poking Eden's ribs with a lazy finger, "You get to wield the sword."
"Agreed." Eden chuckled softly.
They quickly fell asleep, rather warm despite the quite drafty barn. At dawn, Eden awoke and watched the bard as she moved a little, yawned, and her green eyes met her own blue ones. Arielle smiled, turned her eyes to see the dawn peeking through the gaps in the barn door, and then turned back to the warrior.
"I have an idea." she said in a slightly mischievous whisper.
"So do I." Eden replied in the same tone and the bard giggled.
Constance awoke to a foreign noise surrounding her usually rather silent home. With furrowed brows, the physician rose from bed, covered herself in a light cloak and went outside to investigate. She timidly opened her door and leaned against it in amazement. In the light of the rising sun, she saw the warrior and bard finishing mending her fence and gate. She watched quietly as the bard was happily chatting away while handing nails over to Eden who listened as she hammered the fence together. The chattering silenced when the bard suddenly pulled a nail away at the last minute, sending the precariously crouching warrior onto her rear and the bard into a fit of giggling. The giggle turned into a shriek when Eden quickly got up and began to the chase the bard around. Constance smiled at the two friends who she was sure still really didn't understand how strong their bond was. And there, where Eden thought she was free from prying eyes and judging minds, she caught the bard who let out a happy yell and spun her around a few times with a smile on her face before letting the blond back down. She brushed her hand through the bard's golden hair as Arielle leaned her head against Eden's chest, drinking in her warmth, energy, and light scent. They remained like that for a while before Eden stepped back, took the bard by the hand, and returned to the fence and their work.
"If someone just watched them play, they would never believe one was a determined bard and the other a fearsome warrior." Constance said quietly to herself.
No, Constance thought, there is no way on God's green earth that Eden could be the Black Watcher.
The two friends were mounting up for their short trip to Jerusalem that afternoon as the physician and her children stood at the gate to see them off. Eden's whispered words still rang in Constance's head: 'What happened to you will be made right' and she wondered what the warrior had actually meant by that, but realized she might not ever know. Eden mounted her horse, extended her arm and helped the bard up behind her. Arielle turned around to see the girls enthusiastically waving goodbye to their new storytelling friend. The blond waved back with a grin and turned back around, wrapping her arms around the warrior as they trotted away casually.
"Do you remember our first travels together? I could barely squeeze more than three words out of you." the bard mused over Eden's shoulder, happily tucked in behind the warrior's back.
"Mhm."
"Looks like some things haven't changed." Arielle teased.
"Some things never will, Cricket." Eden said and then immediately clamped her jaw shut and closed her eyes for a moment.
"Cricket?"
"After... I found you... you were really quiet... and when... you started to be yourself again... your chatter... it reminded me of the crickets we heard..."
Eden felt very embarrassed and fidgeted a little in her saddle almost wishing that she could just fling herself over the wide ledge they were traveling along. The bard said nothing so Eden took a breath to say it was pathetic and for the blond to forget about it.
"I like it." the bard announced and gave the warrior a wide grin, "I'm going to have to come up with something for you too, of course."
"Oh, what have I gotten myself into?"
"The deepest of trouble." the blond replied with an impish grin as the warrior let out a faint chuckle and shook her head.
They continued their lazy trot when Eden suddenly felt a slight prickling along her skin and tensed her senses as she remained stoic on the surface.
"Do you know what else I like?" Arielle asked in a bemused tone.
"I'm almost afraid to ask." Eden replied.
"I like the fact that I can wrap my arms around you and not worry that you might suddenly pull away. I like that I can rest against you even if I'm not sick or hurt. I like that I can be close to you." the bard said and as she finished, she felt a strange feeling as if they were being watched.
"Careful, you might make me blush for the first time in history." Eden answered.
But a gentle surge of warmth in her chest let the bard know through their bond that Eden liked all those things too, but was just too warrior to say it. Yet, the warmth faded as Eden sensed that something wasn't right and focused her senses on whatever it was troubling them.
"Eden... I feel like... we're being followed..." Arielle hesitated in a hushed tone, turning her gaze to the right.
At that moment, a hooded figure jumped out of the bushes on the low side of the road and hurled himself at the women. Both Eden and Arion were already tensed and waiting and they veered to the side sharply, making the attacker miss his mark. He tumbled over, realized that his attack had failed, and immediately lunged back to where he came from, sending up dust as he slid and skipped down the ledge.
"Stay here." Eden ordered as she threw her leg over Arion's head and dismounted.
Before the bard could protest, the warrior was off, running along the ledge, constantly observing the fleeing attacker below her. Arielle severely regretted not having her bow with her and cantered after the warrior. Arielle almost reached Eden when the warrior did something that sent the bard's heart into her throat. The blond watched Eden suddenly spring upward and jump over the ledge and straight down onto the runner. She leaned over enough to see Eden land right on top of the runner, sending them both to the ground in a cloud of dust. Eden rolled off of him and to the side until she stopped a small distance off. And Arielle watched in a growing horror as neither moved. She peered closely at the warrior who was lying face down on the ground and not giving any sign of life that she could discern. Her heart began to race and then began to hammer wildly when she saw the man begin to come to. He peered over at the unmoving warrior and began to fumble towards her.
"Go!" Arielle commanded as she spurred Arion and the black horse charged forward, instinctively looking for a way down to his rider.
Arielle went through a hundred different scenarios in her head, each one gloomier than the last, but through sheer concentration and will, kept her emotions in check and focused on reaching Eden before the man did. Arion quickly found a path down the slope and then straight to Eden though it seemed like they had been searching for hours to the bard. At first, the blond's rush was so great that she didn't register what she saw. She practically flung herself off of Arion and midway in her run she finally realized that Eden was standing up and brushing herself off like nothing ever happened. Eden noticed her just in time to catch the bard before they collided.
"Whoa, there." Eden said, catching the bard who flung herself at her.
"Are you alright?" Arielle asked and then pulled away to look at the warrior, "You're not hurt? What just happened? Why did you do that?"
"Slow down. I'm fine." Eden calmed.
"Why did you do that? Why do you always have to do things like that?" Arielle asked, putting her hands on her hips with annoyed frustration mixed with relief.
Eden looked at her with a little surprise. Why wouldn't she go after someone who had just possibly tried to attack the blond? But then she looked up at the ledge and then back down at Arielle.
"I scared you, didn't I?" Eden said, more as a realization than a question, "I had to make him think that I was hurt. I wanted to see if it was you he was after or me."
"And?" Arielle asked, the knowledge that Eden was fine sinking in and quickly calming her down.
"And he was after the both of us." Eden stated, pointing at the now unconscious thief lying tied up in the shade of a tree stump, "Supposedly, 'pretty people mean pretty coin'."
"Well, at least he has good taste."
Eden snorted lightly and tipped her head in agreement. Arielle was both proud and surprised how her reactions to these kind of incidents had changed. It wasn't all that long ago that she would be scared and panicked to near death. But now in the heat of the moment, she could make a clear headed decision and jump into action. And she was making jokes as if they had just gone flower picking. I see how much Eden has changed... but it seems that so have I. And that thought, she decided, made her quite happy.
"Are you sure you're alright?" Arielle asked, putting her hands on the warrior's arms.
"I'm fine... I didn't mean to scare you."
"I'm growing used to it." the bard half teased, the both of them knowing neither would ever get used to it, "How did you do that?"
"A little something I learned while planning ambushes."
"It was amazing! You looked like you were flying! Will you teach me?"
They were both ready for Eden to protest and offer at least ten different reasons why it was a very bad idea, broken bones being on the forefront. But Eden had noticed the change in Arielle too. The bard was no longer a frightened, weak maiden. She was growing and maturing in several different ways and it made the warrior proud though she refused to let herself think for a moment that she somehow might have had a good influence. She could only hope that Arielle would develop into the person she always wanted to be and would find strength and happiness in that.
"I could." Eden answered, surprising the both of them, "Especially seeing as how trouble likes to follow you everywhere you go."
"Hey!" the bard commented and lightly slapped Eden's shoulder.
"It's my own fault. You did warn me."
"You mean brute!" the bard exclaimed, giving the warrior's other shoulder a slap.
Eden gave her a mischievous grin as the bard stuck her tongue out at her. They remounted and continued on their way to the Holy City.
"Do you know another thing I like?" Arielle asked in a reflective tone, wrapping her arms around Eden loosely.
"No."
"That we can tease each other... and play... That we trust each other enough to do that..."
Eden realized that it was one of the things that surprised her most in their relationship and something that she thought she would never share with anyone. She smiled and covered the bard's arm with her hand, giving it a few pats. Some things stay the same while others change beyond recognition, the warrior thought, as they settled into a comfortable trot and the bard leaned her head between Eden's shoulders just to relax a little.
When they arrived, Arion snorted to a halt loudly. Both he and Eden were slightly annoyed with the shift from the quiet of the desert to the noisy and crowded streets of Jerusalem.
"We're here."
"I'm not sleeping!" the bard cried out, torn from her sleeping lull and looking around erratically.
"Of course, you're not." Eden teased, dismounted, and then helped the slightly dazed blond down.
Just then, an overly excited Helen dashed out to meet them, almost hugged them to death, and then announced that there was a celebration planned the evening after next to celebrate Arielle's rescue and Jerusalem began to seem to Eden like a city that would take any excuse to throw a celebration. The bard blushed while the warrior rolled her eyes and Helen had no time to comment and instead skipped off to prepare the lavish feast. All those guardians and friends who had helped had rejoiced in the largest rescue mission in their history ending in success. They didn't know the whole history of Sonneillon and Arielle and Eden's battle with him; they simply knew that Eden had rescued the bard and that Arielle was alive and well.
The two friends had untied their saddlebags, let a page take Arion to the stable, and were making their way towards Eden's room when Helen reappeared, running so fast that she almost crashed into the warrior.
"Is something wrong?" Arielle asked the flustered Hospitaller sister, half wanting an answer and half hoping to keep Eden from killing her.
"I was so happy to see you that I completely forgot to tell you! I get a little forgetful when I'm excited, you know?" the sister panted with a smile.
"And what did you want to tell us that you forgot?" Arielle asked slowly after they waited with no word from Helen.
"Ah, yes!" Helen exclaimed with a tiny jump, "The Hospitallers wanted to show their thanks and relief that Arielle is alive by giving you a larger, more comfortable room!"
"What?" Eden asked bluntly.
"Well," Helen began to explain thoroughly, "some of the knights have been sent to other places. The commanders realized that if it hadn't been for Arielle and her opening of the gate for them at Ascalon, the battle may have gone differently. They wanted to show their appreciation for all that she sacrificed... that the both of you sacrificed."
Both women stood rather dumbfounded at the news and while Arielle wasn't sure if she should accept the token, Eden wasn't sure if she wasn't annoyed with it all. She wasn't a Hospitaller and wouldn't take orders from them. Her missions and battles were her own and if allies happened to benefit then so be it, but she had never been in any way rewarded for it before. Yet, before she could decide whether to make a scene or not, she somehow found herself in their new room along with the bard.
The chamber was in the opposite corner of the cloister. It was just as simple as their previous room, only bigger and with a few additional or larger pieces of plain furniture. Their belongings had already been moved and placed neatly on the table. The bard was delighted, but her smile faded when she saw the indecision on the warrior's face.
"You don't like it?" she asked Eden gently.
"I don't like being paid for fighting."
"It's not payment. It's a gift." the bard said gently, wrapping her hand around Eden's.
"I don't like owing others..." the warrior admitted quietly, looking at the ground, "or debts of gratitude."
"You owe no one. They did this because they're grateful to you. Can't you accept it?"
"And be reminded all the time that I almost lost you?" the warrior blurted out, her eyes meeting the bard's.
"No, be reminded that I'm here and safe." the blond corrected, giving Eden's hand a squeeze, "Eden, they want to thank you and this is their way of doing it. Nothing more, nothing less... But we don't have to stay here if it makes you uncomfortable."
Eden was not used to being thanked for anything and she viewed it with distrust. But the bard calmed her, showing her that it was alright and there was nothing to be suspicious of. She looked down into the misty green eyes peering back up at her openly, letting the warrior make her own decision. Eden sighed heavily, knowing that now there could be only one answer.
"It's alright. You have a thing for fireplaces after all." Eden replied.
"Great!" the bard nearly squealed with a wide grin and small jump and then immediately turned around to scan the room, "Now, first of all, I think we should move the chest over to that wall and then move the wardrobe next to it because where they're placed right now makes no sense. Something tells me a man was in charge of decorating here. Oh, and if we shifted the table to..."
The words floated away as Eden simply watched the bard begin to redecorate. The warrior never ceased to be amazed by the simple goodness that radiated from the bard in almost everything she did. Everything and everyone was always given fair and ample attention, nothing was ever neglected or overlooked because she saw the importance in all things, from big to small. And she did it all with a kind of joy that seemed to come from the fact of just enjoying life, something that Eden had long forgotten how to do. So the warrior let the bard chatter away happily. And then a very foreign thought entered Eden's mind: she wondered how she was so lucky to have the blond in her life.
A Templar at the entrance to the Hospitallers was the last thing Eden expected to see when she went to the market the next morning.
"What are you doing here, Garrett?" she greeted the knight with a slightly annoyed tone.
"I heard you were back. I wanted to see how you were. I heard of your ordeal." he explained casually.
"It wasn't my ordeal." Eden corrected.
Garrett completely ignored the comment as he slowly walked towards the warrior until she found her back up against the wall.
"What do you want?" Eden asked.
"What was it like to feel all that hate?" Garrett asked with an almost wild, lustful look in his gray eyes.
"How do you know about that?" Eden asked sharply.
"I have my ways." he purred with a snaky smirk on his face, "You're not the only one with many skills."
Eden swallowed. Garrett indeed had many skills and almost all of a devious nature. One of them included slithering under Eden's skin even when she didn't want him to. Just as he was doing now.
"So tell me about that hate." he said, absently running a finger through her hair.
"Aren't you a Christian warrior?" Eden asked, trying her hardest not to fall to his dark charm again, but feeling the shadows within her begin to spread, "Hate shouldn't interest you that much."
"I'm any kind of warrior I need to be." he answered practically, "Just like you are."
"Am I?"
"Oh, yes." he answered, drawing slowly nearer, raking over her with his dark, wanting gaze, nearly sucking the breath out of Eden's lungs, "You and I, we shift and adapt. We know how to fight and what to fight for... even if no one else does."
"Sounds a little boastful even for a Templar." Eden said in a shaking voice, trying to keep her dark lust under control.
It was too early after her battle with Sonneillon and Garrett was too much. Eden never said anything, but she sometimes struggled with the destruction the demon had caused. She sometimes felt the raw wounds his hate had left behind flare up within her and rekindle a desire to possess or destroy. Although the bard knew nothing about them, she would calm them by her mere presence, healing Eden with her words and warm touch. Yet, Eden also needed time to heal them on her own, to close them so that they would never open again. She had tried so hard to keep the frail stitches from breaking and here Garrett was happily tearing them all apart.
"Eden..." he whispered, his lips ghosting over Eden's, "rule the world with me."
Eden pressed her back and hands up against the wall and swallowed hard as the Templar ran his finger lightly along her cheek and jaw.
"Let's rid this world of the vermin that reign over it. Let's give command back to those who deserve it. With you and God by my side, no one can stop us."
"Garrett, we can't conquer..." Eden tried to protest, but felt like the light was being sucked out of her, letting her fall into a black hole.
"Oh, yes we can. We'll conquer and everyone will submit in either gratitude or fear." he purred against her lips, pressing his body against hers so that she couldn't escape, "And I will be the greatest warrior God will ever know and you will be my queen."
"You aren't a guardian, Garrett. It doesn't work that way." she struggled.
"Of course it does!" he suddenly growled, his massive hand turning into a fist and pounding the wall with such force that little pieces chipped off and rained down beside Eden.
She looked at him in a mixture of awe, disgust, and a hint of fear and he let out a loud breath.
"Come on, Eden," he rumbled into her ear as one hand slid down to her hip, "Make me powerful and I'll make you glorious. We'll fight war with invincibility; we'll oppose force with boundless power."
"No..." the warrior whispered as she felt something churn violently in her gut.
A movement from the corner of her eye made Eden turn her head and she froze. Garrett turned his head to see Arielle staring at them, absolutely mortified. He turned back to Eden with a displeased sneer.
"The blond tarlet? Really?" he snarled, baring his teeth in anger that such a pathetic thing could draw her attention away from him, "Isn't that... unnatural? I'm not sure God would approve."
Eden's eyes suddenly grew darker and a flame of anger rose within her.
"No one, including you, will judge me." she said in a low, threatening tone and the Templar fought the urge to take a step back.
When Arielle saw Eden and Garrett she suddenly felt like someone had pulled the earth out from beneath her. The scene made Arielle feel small and irrelevant just when she was beginning to believe that she meant something to the warrior and could make a difference in the world. The warrior gazed at her with a strained, completely defeated look which the bard misread in her jealously and hurt. Because Arielle had begun to see more colorful and distinct tomorrows than ever before because she had finally felt that she belonged. But now she felt like an utter fool.
"We'll talk about this later when you're not so... distracted by that... criminal." Garrett decided with disgust.
He turned away and stomped off, his cloak flapping madly behind him. Eden closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, trying to gain control of herself again. She worried that either he was somehow growing stronger or she was much weaker, knowing that he shouldn't have that much of an influence over her. She finally slowly pushed herself away from the wall and walked over to the bard, deciding to brush off the situation so Arielle wouldn't worry.
"What are you doing?" Arielle asked sternly with her hands on her hips.
"What are you talking about?" Eden asked, already realizing that she had never seen the bard this angry.
"That!" the bard fumed, pointing in the direction of where they had been standing.
"What about it?" the warrior asked coolly, folding her arms over her chest.
"What about it?!" Arielle repeated in angered surprise, "So you don't see a problem here?"
"What problem?"
"Oh, I see." Arielle smirked, trying to hide her hurt, "This is all just a game to you, isn't it, oh heartless warrior?"
The bard stormed off before Eden had a chance to say anything. The warrior sighed heavily, watching Arielle go. I worry about hurting her so much that I end up hurting her anyway...
Eden wanted to find the bard, but decided to give them both some time to calm down so she went to do sword drills. Yet instead of lessening the strange anger growing in her, the power she released in her swings just made it worse. As she cut and slashed at the air with no mercy, her mind began to race trying to understand what was going on with her. And after a while she came to the conclusion that she wasn't angry at Arielle or even at Garrett, but at herself. Because deep down she knew that the subconscious distance that she kept from Arielle wasn't because she really felt something for Garrett or didn't really feel anything for the blond. Eden sighed and let her sword arm fall to her side. It was because Eden didn't believe that she deserved it. She deserved the pride, power hunger, glory, and constant warring that Garrett offered. Because, Eden thought, people don't cause as much pain and suffering as she did and then get rewarded with bright, warm, caring, and peaceful people. And Eden would have believed that if it wasn't for an extremely stubborn voice in her heart that kept demanding she finally open her eyes and believe.
The physically and mentally exhausted warrior returned to her room in the evening to find Arielle furiously scribbling away on several sheets of paper. She had her back to Eden and didn't turn when she heard her come in. Eden grimaced a little and slowly walked up the writing bard.
"Arielle." she said softly, putting her hand on the blond's shoulder.
"Don't touch me." Arielle shot back, yanking her shoulder away and continuing to write.
"Are you still mad at me?"
"Do I seem mad?" the bard replied sarcastically.
"Arielle, it was nothing."
"It was nothing?! Nothing?!" Arielle repeated, turning around and getting up to face the warrior, angry as ever, "Well, maybe to you it was nothing, but it didn't seem like nothing to me."
"You know how he is."
"And I know you... Or at least I thought I did." Arielle retorted, her voice growing quieter with the hurt.
The energy seemed to suddenly drain out of the bard and she slowly sat back down and returned to her writing. Eden watched the quill move much more slowly than before and noticed Arielle's head droop over the table.
"Arielle..." Eden said and put her hand on the bard's shoulder only to have her yank it away once again.
Eden sighed and moved around to the side and knelt beside the bard.
"Arielle." Eden repeated, cupping the bard's face with her hands and forcing her to look at her, "I'm sorry."
Eden saw the hurt the watery green eyes revealed without shame. It made the warrior's stomach sink and she bit her lower lip. She wanted to tell Arielle that this was one of the many reasons why the bard should stay away from her. She didn't know how to care, how to love; what she knew best was how to destroy. Perhaps it was just too little or simply too late for Eden and no matter what the bard would try, Eden would never change. But when Eden looked deeper into Arielle's eyes, she saw the firm conviction that Eden wasn't that person at all, but someone different entirely, someone the bard could clearly see and someone the bard clearly loved.
"Why would you, Eden?" Arielle asked in a whisper, "Why Garrett?"
"I don't know. There's just something..."
"Ugly in him." Arielle finished, "And when you're with him, I see the same thing in you... And it reminds me... of when I nearly lost you to hate..."
Arielle's voice cracked on the last few words and Eden pulled her into an embrace without thinking.
"I'm sorry, I really am." Eden said, pressing her cheek against the bard's head, "I... I didn't realize."
Arielle knew Eden was telling the truth. She also knew how hard it was for the warrior to apologize and admit she was wrong. But it still hurt nevertheless and it fed a doubt that she constantly carried that, one day, Eden would leave her behind for more powerful and interesting friends.
"Did it mean nothing to you?" Arielle asked quietly, pulling away from the warrior, "All that happened?"
"It meant a lot to me... You saved my life."
"But apart from that." Arielle added in a frightened whisper that was almost too quiet to hear.
The bard began to think that maybe she had overanalyzed and seen more than was really there. After all, what would such a fearsome warrior want with some young bard?Arielle couldn't give her anything except for herself which didn't seem to be much at all. Little did she know that Eden had much of the same fears. Eden feared Arielle saw much more in her than there really was, someone better, kinder, and braver.
"I didn't know... I thought that maybe you... maybe it was just that moment..." the warrior stuttered, tripping over her words.
"It wasn't just that moment, Eden." Arielle replied, cupping Eden's face with her hands.
"Maybe you just think... later you'll see..."
"I already know." Arielle answered with a single shake of her head, bringing her face closer to the warrior's.
"Someday you'll hate me..."
"I could never hate you." she whispered, leaning slowly forward, hearing the warrior swallow audibly.
"Maybe this is all... going... too fast?..." Eden croaked.
"Too fast?!" Arielle exclaimed pulling back suddenly, her eyes growing wide as they both rose, "Too fast? We've experienced death, near suicide, siege, bandits, razed villages, demons, jinn, mind reading, poison, sickness, storms, drunkenness... and you think this is going too fast?!"
"It just isn't what you came here for." Eden tried to explain, "This wasn't your dream."
"No, it's exactly what I came here for." Arielle countered, taking a step forward and making Eden look at her, "I wanted to see the Holy City, to find God and my place and purpose... and I found just that."
Eden dropped her gaze to the floor as Arielle studied her, trying to figure out where Eden's doubts were coming from. For the bard it was simple, love was meant to be cherished and nurtured because it was a rare gift. But Eden understood it differently and saw the potential loss it always carried.
"I'm sure not even you imagined that we... this... thing... between us..." Eden stuttered, looking at the floor at a loss.
And it then became clearer to Arielle and she had to acknowledge that it had crossed her mind many times before.
"Do you... think it ungodly?" the bard asked with a slight dread in her voice.
"I think it a gift." Eden answered truthfully, raising her eyes to meet the bard's.
"I know... I know that it may seem a bit unexpected. I'm surprised myself a little... a lot... It's not how I imagined it, it's true..." Arielle explained gently, reaching for Eden's hand, "But this just feels so right and so perfect that I really can't find any reason to end it, bury it, or let it go. Eden, I always thought with my heart, but you gave me the courage to actually follow it. Please don't break it now."
"Never." Eden said and pulled the bard into a warm embrace and kissed the top of the bard's head.
"I followed you so many times and you always got us out of danger and we found the way... Maybe this time you'll follow me." Arielle said, pulling away a little and stroking Eden's cheek.
Eden was stunned by the comment. No one had ever wanted Eden to follow them, much less ask her to do so. She wondered what it was exactly that the bard saw in her because she couldn't see it at all. But Eden had to make herself let go of that thought and simply trust the bard's judgment and instinct and do all that she could to show Arielle that she wasn't making a mistake. And she began to finally see what a great gift she had actually received and decided to stop doubting and refusing it. Or at least try. This, that persitent voice in her heart said, was the way out, the key to the lock around her chained soul.
"Can you forgive a dumb, stubborn warrior?" Eden asked, resting her forehead against the bard's.
"You are a little slow sometimes." Arielle kidded, running her fingers along the side of Eden's face as Eden snorted lightly.
Eden noticed that there was a time that she would have broken someone's arm for a joke like that. But not only did she tolerate Arielle's teasing, she had even grown to like it. It made her somehow feel like a person; she had faults and made mistakes, but she wasn't judged for them, but accepted. She realized how Arielle made her feel like a human being and let her be one too. The bard brought her peace, warmth, and happiness, all the most fragile things in the world that scared Eden half to death. Their breaths mingled and she could feel Arielle pressing herself closer to the warrior. She could be near Arielle for the rest of the days of her life and she knew it wouldn't be enough.
"Forgive me, Arielle, like only you can." the warrior said in a brittle whisper.
Arielle stood up on her toes and gently caught the warrior's lips with hers. It was filled with care and affection that was being given to her and Eden almost couldn't understand. The shadows in her mind called for her to reject it, claiming she wasn't worthy of it and that it was all a lie underneath. But Eden didn't want Arielle to stop, or go, or do anything else than what she was doing. Because Arielle was slowly putting her back together, piece by small piece, with the hope that one day she would see Eden whole again. She was turning Eden back into a human: a woman, a friend, a good person.
"I guess it takes some getting used to... being someone's." Eden admitted quietly when they parted.
"I'll gladly teach you." Arielle said, a small smile on her face.
"I'll gladly learn."
Eden smiled at the bard and turned to the papers on the table, looking closer at the scribbles.
"Garrett is a-" Eden read out loud and then her eyebrows shot up.
"I was angry." the bard admitted sheepishly.
"Maybe... I should... wear a dress?" Eden fumbled with the idea.
Arielle had always wondered what Eden would look like in a dress. But then she imagined an entire hall full of people who were probably wondering the same thing and Eden in the middle of them all.
"Perhaps some other time." Arielle replied with a smile and added in a small tease, "You have to look the part of the hero tonight."
Eden frowned at the unnecessary attention and labels she might receive in the hall, but the bard stilled her lips gently with her fingertips before she had a chance to say anything.
"I know," Arielle said with a quiet, soft smile, "but think of it this way: in a dress you would only attract all the attention in the room. With your gambeson and sword you'll look more threatening. Maybe they'll leave you alone."
Eden liked that line of thinking and let out a soft chuckle as the bard grinned at her. They were both amazed at how quickly they were learning to understand each other even before any words were said. Arielle turned back to the wardrobe while Eden sat down on the edge of the bed and began to clean her boots. The bard couldn't choose between two dresses and turned to the warrior to ask for her opinion, but then stopped. The bard secretly loved to watch Eden work on something in concentration. The warrior's knotted brows and steady, focused gaze reminded the bard that there was also a great mind to add to the battle ready body in the warrior. And though there was little thinking needed to shine shoes or sharpen a sword, it was the warrior guardian's meticulous attention to the details of those tasks that caught Arielle's attention every time.
Arielle placed the dresses down, knelt down on the bed, and crawled over it until she ended up behind in Eden, and wrapped her arms around the warrior from behind and rested her chin on her shoulder. The bard heard a nearly silent hum escape the warrior's throat and she smiled. She remembered the times when Eden would become tense at the slightest touch and now she could almost hear the warrior singing. It made Arielle giggle once.
"Hm?" Eden asked quietly, not looking up from her work.
"Nothing." Arielle replied and turned her head to rest her cheek on the warrior's shoulder.
Eden felt the pleasant distraction of the bard's breath on her neck and the corner of her mouth curled up in a grin. The bard gazed at the dark haired woman's pulse point for a moment, watching the strong beating of a heart that had ached for so long. She leaned forward, wanting to take the pain away and kissed the spot... and lingered.
"What are you doing?" Eden asked quietly.
Arielle didn't respond, but let her lips continued to lightly brush Eden's skin. She then felt a slight uneasiness appear in the warrior, the one she remembered from when they had met.
"Oh..." Arielle said, pulling away with sudden self consciousness and nervousness, "maybe I shouldn't-"
"No, no." Eden calmed, "I'm just... not used to this... attention."
"I'm sorry." the bard said quietly over the warrior's shoulder.
"You did nothing wrong." Eden said, craning her head around to look at the bard.
"I'm sorry you're not used to this."
Eden hung her head a little and smiled lightly in that way Arielle always found endearing. The warrior slid her hand over the bard's arm and gave it a gentle squeeze as Arielle hid her face in the warrior's neck again.
The bard was absolutely amazed by what the warrior did to her without even trying. Eden pulled her in like shifting sands whenever she found herself near. The bard's actions and reactions were unconscious; there was some deep need to be close to Eden, to touch her, soothe her, and care for her. She wanted to give her all her time, all her energy, all her strength and good and never ask for anything in return. When she was little, she would read stories of knights and princesses who fell in love and had sometimes dreamt of what it would be like to fall in love someday. The poems she read spoke of things that seemed to almost be unreal. But now Arielle realized that they were very real and the things she felt were ever greater and more indescribable than the ones put on paper. And what was the strangest thing of all was not only did her heart beat for a woman, it beat for the most warring woman and broken person she had ever met.
"How is it that I feel so comfortable around you?" the bard mused out loud, running idle fingers down Eden's hair, "It's almost like we fit together perfectly though it wouldn't seem so, would it?... It's like the gears of the world you talk about sometimes. We found each other, fit together, and work."
Eden had similar thoughts as the bard's, though hers worried her. The constant fear of hurting Arielle in one way or another swirled around in her head, never far away from her thoughts. She didn't want to cause the bard pain and she didn't want the bard to ever be disappointed in her. But they were only human and things had a nasty tendency of liking to change. Eden could see the day the bard left, disappointed and frustrated, realizing that Eden couldn't give or didn't have what she wanted. And Eden knew that it would break her. Nothing was forever and nothing was fair and what God gave, God also took away without any intention of ever giving it back. The thought was a band around the warrior's chest that squeezed her tightly sometimes to the point that she couldn't breathe. Because there was something in the bard that was a force beyond anything she knew. Despite all the arguments against it, despite all the hardships before and to come, Arielle slowly pulled the warrior towards her and had now become the center the warrior revolved around. The bard became her redemption, her meaning, her new spring; if Eden was a phoenix, Arielle was her fire. Her trust in the bard was iron and stable; she had let the bard in closer than anyone else. Even now, the warrior noticed with interest, Arielle had crawled up behind her and she hadn't even flinched when she would have normally had a knife at her throat.
"How is it that I feel so safe around you?" Eden countered in the same tone.
They smiled at each other, Eden resting a little against the bard as the blond gently tightened her embrace. Arielle wanted to take away her pain. Eden wanted to make sure Arielle was never in pain again.
"We should get ready... before you're late to your own celebration."
Arielle smiled, let out a soft breath, and reluctantly got up and returned to dressing. Eden finished cleaning her boots and dressed in the same dark blue as she had before. The warrior was ready and buckling her sword belt when the bard entered the room again.
"I'm ready." the bard stated.
"Good, we can... You... look beautiful." Eden stuttered when she turned around and the bard literally took her breath away.
Arielle had put on a simple, yet elegant, dark, vibrant red dress. The material flowed over her body perfectly almost as if it was a second skin. The bard's eyes twinkled brightly and her hair contrasted nicely with the fabric, bringing out a few strawberry highlights.
"Escort me, warrior?" the bard asked sheepishly, slightly embarrassed with the effect she was having on Eden.
"Always." Eden replied with a smile, composing herself and then extending her arm.
They walked to the hall with a certain feeling of deja vu. When they reached the top of the stairs, Arielle was stunned to see more people there than before and she froze for a moment.
"Go on." Eden coaxed, lowering her arm, "They're here celebrate your return. Half the Levant looked for you."
"Not without my champion." Arielle replied, shaking her head ever so slightly after a moment and lightly grabbing Eden's arm and pulling it back up.
Eden looked at her in slight astonishment, never having been in a situation where someone would want to even acknowledge the warrior's existence.
"Just to the bottom of the stairs." the bard added, seeing Eden's hesitation and surprise, "I want them to see you were the one who found me."
As Eden lead Arielle down the stairs, she felt her chest expand with pride as everyone looked at the bard in awe of both her beauty and her courage. But it was also filled with a warm light that made the warrior nearly seem to float. She felt as if for the first time in her life, someone had looked at her and saw what she was. Arielle ignored the village stories and hallway gossip, bravely looking at the warrior and seeing a human being and challenging everyone else to do the same.
Once they reached the bottom of the stairs, Eden quickly broke away from in front of the sea of people and walked off to some corner. Arielle automatically felt the chill that Eden's absence left and she wondered what a strong tie must have bound them if the fact that Eden wasn't right beside her left such an emptiness behind. It was Eden's presence, she began to notice, that showed her how alone she really had been before.
Eden looked at Arielle from afar, wrapped up in the light the bard emitted. She had drown, she was caught, she was the bard's prisoner, she had been defeated; Eden knew it all too well. She would deny it and play rough and dark on the surface for the sake of her reputation and consciousness, but deep down inside she knew she was completely at the bard's mercy. And it worried her. She had learned to trust the bard again after the damage Dorian had done, yet, she didn't trust herself or her fate enough to believe that Arielle would stay. Eden found herself in a state or constantly peering around every corner, expecting to find some man or monster that would tear the bard from her hands and leave her all alone again.
Arielle had secretly worried a little about the celebration. She wasn't exactly in the celebrating kind of mood and the prospect of being surrounded by people made her somewhat uneasy. But everyone was warm and friendly towards the blond and soon her mind was taken off her ordeal. She could somehow feel that Eden was watching over her and that secure feeling let her swim into the crowd, feel comfortable in it, and begin to enjoy herself.
Lawrence walked in and slowly made his way across the hall, greeting others and exchanging words with them. He greeted the bard very warmly, embracing her and kissing her on the cheek. She smiled cheerfully at him and, for a moment, he was taken with her warm beauty and thought that probably the only reason a long string of suitors wasn't following her around was because Eden was always throwing death stares from nearby. He parted with Arielle and continued towards the warrior. A smile spread across his face as he watched Eden observing everyone else. Her gaze was something between icy and observant until it reached Arielle. And then the eyes warmed immediately, growing soft and sparkling. It was something that he had always prayed for her to experience, something he thought that she deserved and seeing it now made him happy.
"You know," Lawrence started in a bantering tone, "if I didn't know that you usually stare at entertaining bards then I might think that you were in love."
"Shouldn't you be playing your flute, Hopsitaller?" Eden grumbled, "Or do you want me to make you eat it?"
Lawrence chuckled and sat down next to the warrior and casually slid his arm around her shoulders and drew her closer for a hug. They watched the celebration in comfortable silence for a while.
"The Hospitallers seem happy with you." Eden remarked.
"Oh, yes. I'm a hero now. It's almost like I've become their anti-thesis to Garrett," Lawrence admitted lightly, "You know, they do acknowledge what you did at Ascalon."
"I'm sure they do." Eden replied, unconvinced as usual.
"You know I wouldn't lie about that." Lawrence noted and then a mischievous smile crossed his face, "They would probably ask you to become a Hospitaller... if they weren't so afraid of you."
Lawrence received a soft backhand in the stomach from the warrior as a response and chuckled. A serving boy brought them some bread, meat, and drink to their table and quickly left. Arielle had gathered a sizeable group around her as the music softened and she told stories that drew everyone's attention.
"I'm glad that everything turned out well in the end." Lawrence said, pouring them each a cup of ale, "And I'm happy that you're happy, Eden. The bond between the two of you glows brighter than any I've ever seen. Like a fire in the middle of the night."
Eden turned to look at him. She noticed that every time he smiled, he reminded her of a child who was happy for some ridiculous reason that adults had grown up to forget. She saw his care and concern in his eyes and knew that she was very lucky to have him as a very good friend throughout the years. He could have left her so many times for so many reasons like everyone else, but he never did and she was indebted to him for that. But she didn't want to tell him he was right about the bard for fear of having him turn out to be wrong. Eden preferred to convince herself that there was no real reason to be happy than to be happy and then have it be taken away. But even she knew that she was fighting an already lost battle.
"You promised to live to play and I promised to live to hear it. So let's hear it." Eden replied, motioning her chin at the corner of the hall.
Lawrence grinned widely and his eyes sparkled as he stood up and strode over to the musicians. Eden soon heard his playing above the others and had to admit that he did indeed play well and she was happy for him. Her mind floated back to the time when they were much younger and he constantly complained that his father wouldn't let him practice the flute like some "common troubadour" and he thought then that women had it much easier in that respect. She grinned inwardly when she remembered hitting him over the head every time he said that. Her eyes followed the knight who was now swaying to the music he was playing to accompany Arielle's stories. Some things were so different, yet some forever remained the same.
"Arielle! Your stories are so wonderful!" a young man suddenly cried, a little too drunk for his own good, "Tell us now about your rescue!"
The whole hall quickly became quiet as Arielle's face fell at the grim memories. She looked at the man who didn't really seem to understand that he had said something wrong. She felt a small, sharp jolt within her and knew it was Eden. The warrior had stood up from her far corner and was ready to stomp towards the young man and tear his head from his body for being so stupid. And there was a time where the man would have already been flying head first through the door, but now Eden waited. She knew that this time it was the bard's decision, the bard's small battle to fight. Though she still had her times of doubt and naivety, Eden thought, Arielle was no longer the inconfident, childish, rich man's daughter.
Arielle really wanted to slap him for being so ignorant. He wanted to listen to an adventure, but she wanted to tell him that she had almost lost herself and escaped only to learn that she was going to lose her best friend. She almost lost her love, her meaning. And she knew that she could slap him all the way to Damascus and he still wouldn't understand a fraction of what they went through. She and even moreso Eden, were stories to most of them; great stories of adventure and courage. So, she thought, she would keep it a story even though she didn't have the words to describe it. She felt all eyes of the hall on her, half the people holding their breaths for the bard's or warrior's response and she sighed.
"Dear friend," she said in a warm voice, "don't you know that it's bad luck for a bard to tell a story about themselves? You wouldn't want bad luck to fall on me, would you?"
"Oh, God no!" he cried admently, "Forgive me!"
Arielle couldn't do anything else than forgive him with a gentle, yet sad smile. A slight uneasiness settled in the hall.
"Strike up a song!" Arielle called to the musicians, "This is a celebration!"
A warm cheer rippled through the hall and the tensions eased as people shuffled off to eat, talk, or dance to the music that now filled the hall. Arielle calmly made her way towards the warrior who was still standing and watching her closely. When she reached their table, she quietly sat down, the warrior following her. The bard took a sip from her cup and scanned the hall, pleased to see everyone having a good time. Yet her memories still bothered her and she searched around for Eden's hand beneath the table, found it, and gave it a squeeze.
"Are you alright?" Eden asked with a concerned look.
"Yes..." the blond answered and then turned to Eden, "Just bad memories..."
Eden knew that there were no words that could take the hurt away. Instead, she quietly shifted her hand a little and laced their fingers together. Arielle closed her eyes for a moment, soaking in the strength and steadfastness that the warrior emanated. It seemed to her that there was nothing in Heaven or on earth that would budge the warrior guardian if she was holding on to the bard. And it was all done without a single word or sound. The blond opened her eyes, resting them again on the all the guests. This entire hall of people would never make me feel as safe as she does.
"You are my rock." Arielle whispered, turning to her best friend and they both exchanged smiles.
"I can still turn him into cheap bedding if you want." Eden suggested quietly.
"Be civil." Arielle replied, giving her a light nudge.
Eden shrugged and took a sip from her cup, scanning the hall. She was secretly somewhat relieved that she didn't have to make a scene, but still wondered if she shouldn't toss the young man around a little once he was sober so that he would remember it better. Yet, there was still a hint of sadness in the bard's eyes.
"Arielle, although tonight was about you being rescued, I want you to know that, in the end, you rescued me... Always remember that." Eden said carefully.
The bard looked at the warrior for a long moment. She was so proud because she knew it wasn't something Eden would lightly admit. There was a part of Eden that didn't want anyone's help or care, it wanted to lock itself up, away from the world and never owe anyone a thing. Admitting that Arielle saved her meant inveiling a weakness and the bard knew how hard that was for the warrior. But she also saw the love in her, giving the bard the respect and credit she deserved and never letting her think any less of herself. To Eden, the violence of ignorance and selfishness were as great a sin as any.
"You can sometimes make a bard go speechless, did you know that?" she whispered.
"One of my many skills." Eden replied, waggling her eyebrows.
Arielle laughed softly, shaking her head at the warrior's rare joking, and turned back to the crowd, her sadness now forgotten.
After the bard had her fill of talking, dancing, and eating and looked like she was about to tip over, Eden suggested that they call it a night. They went through the large throng of people, saying their goodbyes, thank yous, and good nights. When they finally made it back to their room, Eden let out a large breath and Arielle simply flung herself on the bed.
"So many people." the bard complained softly, closing her eyes as Eden chuckled, sat down on the edge of the bed, and began to undress.
"If the celebration had been for me, there would have been only about three people to say goodbye to." Eden joked, undoing her sword belt.
Arielle opened her eyes and studied the warrior. She knew it was a joke, but it carried something sad in it. It was something that the bard couldn't understand and the longer she knew Eden, the more incomprehensible it was. There was so much the dark haired woman could offer, there was so much she was and could do and be. She recalled all the things Eden had done for her that night alone and sighed. She wanted to show the warrior that there was so much more beyond what others thought of her. There was so much to admire, to learn from her, and to love.
Arielle suddenly had a impish look in her eye and quietly and nimbly got up and then sat down on Eden's lap as the warrior was pulling off her boot.
"Arielle?..." Eden drawled with an amused, raised eyebrow as the bard wrapped her arms around the warrior's neck.
"Yes?" she replied with mischievous innocence, "Oh, I'm sorry, were you busy?"
"A little."
"Oh, I'm going to have to make it up to you then." the bard said in a low register Eden had never heard her use before.
Arielle leaned in and kissed Eden once and then again and again.
"What... are you... doing?" Eden asked between kisses.
"Did I... ever tell you... you're beautiful?"
"And you..." Eden said before giving her a final kiss and tapping her on the nose with her finger, "have had a lot of wine to drink."
Eden held back an urge to kiss the bard's pouting lip. In truth, Eden was terrified. Her imagination had an uncanny ability of envisioning the worst things that could possibly happen all in vivid color and detail. She knew that sooner or later, the first kiss they shared would probably lead to more, but she had secretly hoped it would take a few years not days. She was afraid she might hurt the bard or that Arielle would be disappointed, disgusted, regretful, or even simply pack up and leave after realizing she had made a giant mistake. Eden would rather never touch the bard again then to have her leave. She couldn't for the life of her understand what the charming, beautiful, witty, and gentle bard would want with a lost, shattered, dark warrior. Yet, daises would start to grow in Hell before Eden imagined herself saying any of that to Arielle.
The next morning, the two friends were sitting in the kitchen as Helen bombarded them with questions and chatter. Arielle observed with some amusement as Eden tried to keep from strangling the talkative sister. A laugh finally escaped the bard when Helen remarked that Eden was strangely quiet. The sudden appearance of a rough traveler interrupted their morning.
"Good morning, maidens." he started, pulling his hat off his head and giving a small bow.
"Good morning. What's your business here?" Eden asked flatly.
"Where might I find Arielle of Avignon?"
"That's me." the bard answered with surprise.
"I have a message for you." the traveler replied.
He briskly walked up to the bard, handed her a note with a wax seal, said goodbye, and left. The three women all looked at each other a little stunned and after taking a breath, Arielle opened the note and silently read it. And then she read it again.
"What is it?" Eden asked, seeing the color drain from the blond's face each time she reread the short letter.
"It's from my father." Arielle replied weakly and then looked up at Eden with a pained expression, "He wants me to return home immediately."