Firelight

[Elyna]

22nd Zi'da 716

Another long day. Rising before the dawn, Elyna was finding it was something of a relief to be able to leave the disassembling of her tent to her Shadow. It meant that she had a half-break each morning to prepare for the ride ahead and an ability to set off earlier than usual. The day had been one of low dense cloud which served to hide the skyriders from view, but also made it more difficult to scout some of the terrain. The cloud acted as cover in both directions. When they had landed, Elyna had sent Rafa with a complete update to Malcolm. A fresh map that she’d sketched out in the air, with all the detail that she could be certain of in pen. Other notations added in symbols added in pencil.

Weary and conflicted about her interaction with mortalborn the day before, Elyna had decided against the climb up through the encampment. There would be an early briefing, before the next day began. An attack? Her stomach felt as though it was filled with acid, twisting and bubbling within. In anticipation of the next day, the camp was usually quiet and sombre. Most knights and skyriders having turned in for the evening and whatever sleep they could scrape together.

Other than the lookouts and increased patrols that skirted through the trees and surrounding brush, Elyna was alone beside the fire. Smoke rose in thick plumes from damp wood. It coated the back of her throat and made her nose itch. She hid her sneezes in her hand and drew her scarf up higher around her neck. The wind had a tendency to tickle the back of her neck with icy fingers. She missed the heat of summer, even it bought dozens of flying insects. She missed being warm and she missed her daughter. It was strange to miss Malcolm, when she saw him on such a regular basis. Most of the time, though it was a glimpse from a distance. More so then even their brief and torrid affair in the city, before Elsie, he was untouchable and out of reach.

In the regular briefings she stood alongside the other captains and made her contributions. It was impossible not to watch the man though and harder not to worry about him. This campaign would have been hard on any commander, but for Malcolm it was personal.

The shadows danced in the fire and the woman let out a slow breath. It was harder not to try and imagine how things could be, if they were only a little different. If she was permitted to reach out and offer him some comfort. If she could speak freely without worrying about all the ears of the campsite hearing. Malcolm had be to beyond a normal mortal man. The irony was, that he was so much more. He was the son of Vri and he had four centuries of experience to bring to the campaign. Yet the façade of his mortality needed to be maintained as though he was any other Warden, and so the captain kept her distance.

[Malcolm]

They had scouted from dawn till dusk and tracked down the small encampment of Qe'dreki Elyna had originally spotted from the air. The men they had seen had been fewer than twenty in number and looked to be on a supply run. They were a lot deeper in the woods than Elyna had last seen them, leading Malcolm to believe they were lost. It was just like a bunch of sailors to get lost on land. From a distance the men had reported that the group were ratty and looked underfed, and Malcolm instructed that they keep fewer fires tonight and lower their voices, knowing how the surrounding hills carried noise.
Back at camp the men had cut down young trees, sharpening the ends into points for makeshift stockades, strong enough to stop just about anything short of a Jacadon, and on an angle that made them impossible for horses to jump from the outside. They had been erected between the trees for camouflage and fortification. On top of this, they had also built lookouts in the trees that Malcolm had helped put up, instructing the small construction chew as to where and at what height the platforms should sit. It was cold that far up off the ground, but the surrounding trees helped to break the icy breeze, and cow hide was used to fend off the rest for the two men stationed at each lookout point.
After a meal, Malcolm had gone in search of Elyna. He had donned a cloak of forest green and pulled up the hood, making his way through camp like any other, not seeking out the watchful eyes of those he passed, hoping to get by without being noticed, a test of sorts. Part way through camp a knight had stopped him, and as Malcolm dropped his hood he smiled, “Its nice to see we don’t let just anyone walk through camp,” he told the knight.
“My apologies, warden.”
“A job well done,” Malcolm assured the man before continuing on to the edge of camp.
When he finally came to the skyrider camp, Malcolm sat down beside Elyna on the log to enjoy the warmth of the fire. He had pulled his hood up again, but was sure there could be no mistake in the woman’s mind; she knew him if only by his hands, the way he sat, or just his height. The mortalborn pushed his gloves into the right pocket on his pants and felt the chill of damp wood beneath him seeping into his bones. It was easy to miss the summer heat when one was without the comforts of home during the winter.
For a long time he sat in silence beside the woman, just enjoying her company while the world around them settled down to sleep. When he did speak though, his voice was low enough that it could almost be disguised by the hungry cracks and hisses of the fire pit in front of them.
“Will you walk with me, captain?”

[Elyna]

He had arrived like a shadow. The woman hadn’t responded to his presence, all too aware of who it was that joined her. It was the way he sat, straight-backed despite the awkward seat. He was too tall for the seat with long legs stretching out for the fire. She could sense him beside her, heat radiating through his clothes. Eyes closed the flickering flames, Elyna inhaled through her nose and caught the familiar scent of him on the air. Like a wolf who knew her mate, the woman couldn’t help but sit a little taller beside him. Nerves on edge, tingling and alert to his breath and every movement. Anticipation pulled her spine taught and he made his request. Elyna nodded and stood slowly, unfurling from her seat before she turned on her heel. Her own hood pulled up to stave off the chill air- she picked a route between tent pegs with care. The air fogged beneath her, heart thumping uneasily in her chest. Beyond the canvas of their temporary homes, she was out in the darkness.

The birch trees were pale in the dim light. Shed leaves and snow rustling underfoot. Flakes of white powder caught on her eyelashes as she looked up at the cloud. The cloud meant that it might be warmer, but it didn’t feel that way. Beyond the first line of tents Elyna glanced over her shoulder and offered a cautious smile, “you know I would follow you anywhere,” she voiced the words for his ears alone before turning back to the endless night.

“I was thinking about a day on the beach, with the water at our ankles,” she admitted. She scanned the shadows for some kind of shape or meaning. A curve of a mountain against the skyline, the grey light that would herald the dawn which was still a few breaks off. “I miss the warmth,” the woman pressed a fingertip to her nose, thinking before falling into step beside Malcolm, wherever he wanted to lead, “it was, the brightest moment of my life, I think. The happiest.”

[Malcolm]

There were a couple of occasions that came to mind at the mention of water around their ankles. Their picnic at the beach, cut short by Benjamin and Kathryn, all too happy to poke fun at their state of undress. And then there was the wedding, small, joyous, warm; the memory remained fond for him too despite the events that had followed. In that moment, he had never longed to reach out and touch her more than he did now. Less than an arm's length away, and yet it felt as if the world stood between them.
With the warmth of the fire abandoned, Malcolm led Elyna around the eastern boundary of the camp headed north. The trip was slow with the man in no real rush to go anywhere fast. They moved in and out of the shadows like thieves, the outer circle campground starved of light, all knowing how close they were to enemy territory now. As they stumbled into a darker corner of the camp, Malcolm looked about before turning towards Elyna, and saw the two of them duck behind a nearby tree beyond the stockades. The warden pinned his lover against the frosted bark of the pine, and kissed her, not having said anything leading up to the breathless exchange. His hands cupped her cheeks beneath the hood of her cloak, unnaturally warm.
Malcolm breathed a contented sigh, indulging in the kiss for just a moment longer than he should before it was broken. It went against every rule in the book, but every night before he closed his eyes to sleep, Malcolm wandered what if? What if the dawn never came? What if the camp were raided in the night? What if someone slipped into his tent and slit his throat while he was dreaming? What if he died with regrets? One last kiss, a man could die well if such a kiss was the last thing on his mind.

[Elyna]

The return to old habits was easier than making new ones. They’d spent more nights sleeping beside each other, or separated entirely that Elyna wasn’t surprised that they returned to it. Sometimes she wondered if Malcolm remembered she was there at all, beside him in the bed. After his most recent injury she hadn’t pursued a passionate encounter with him. At first because he was healing. His voice had been restored and yet, they’d not spoken about what had happened with Avari. He knew that his mortalborn lover wasn’t dead. Elyna knew that he knew…and silence had grown. It seemed to blossom quickly in their relationship. Scarcely a handful of trials after the attack, he’d returned to work at the University. Aware of the forthcoming campaign he’d made every effort with his career as a teacher, a professor. The skyrider had barely seen the man between long hours of class preparation or marking papers. Then they’d both been scrambling to prepare for the campaign itself. Short days and long winter nights spent like strangers, whose schedules sometimes meant they shared the same bed; in between their daughter’s insistent cries and the turns they took to care for her.

Knowing he was in the city and out of reach, was almost unbearable. As was walking with him now. Shadows against the frozen ground and between the trees. Silent as they stalked in search of a space. Somewhere that was their own, just for a moment. Her heart continued thumping too hard, nervous anticipation. Why did he want to walk with her? Was Elsie alright? Pavoo hadn’t said anything… Their evening in the inn, she’d hoped to reforge a connection or ignite a spark that went beyond respect and duty. Of course, nothing quite worked out the way that she planned it.

Pinned with a gasp for air, her body reacted before her wandering mind caught up. His palms warmed her cheeks and his lips moved over hers. Giddy, she was all too aware that this was dangerous. With high stakes if they were caught. Yet, she found that she didn’t care. This was it, like any other moment with the man. This was her chance to prove her own devotion, that he needn’t fear any doubt in her heart. She was his and growing increasingly frustrated in her inability to show it and rebuild the bridges they’d burnt down in the summer.

Pressed against the rough bark, the scent of pine almost overpowered the young woman. Lost to the chilled winter night, Elyna pressed a hand to his chest and felt the rapid beat of his heart beneath the layers of wool and leather. Fingers curled in the material and she pulled him back again, unwilling to let him withdraw. Body pushed against him and eyes tight shut she lifted a knee. Foot planted flat against the tree behind her, her leg brushed against his outer thigh. Her free hand curled around his waist, thumb tucking into the loop of his belt so that she could hold him closer still, hungry for more. He couldn’t do this to her, tantalise her with a kiss and leave her begging. Couldn’t brush aside any overture to intimacy and then insist that she stay with him as he slept.

There was a thrill in the risk that was undeniable. If the woman was honest, it was one she’d experienced with Malcolm before, their first night together. If she were to truly search her past however, adrenaline mixed with passion was a drug. One that Yoreth had seen her addicted to. Danger set her pulse racing. The kiss went on too long and the hunger was in no way sated. She burnt with longing and long wasted desire.

[Malcolm]

Lust akin to that of a match, easily struck and quickly burned out. Never had Malcolm imagined that Elyna would see the match tossed into oil, igniting a fire that was difficult to douse. In that moment it was impossible to tell where one started and the other ended, bodies glued to one another, the cold leather of their clothing groaning like snow under boot as it stuck and twisted in their frantic attempt to get closer still.
It was cold and the mist in the air had turned to snow, a light dusting, Malcolm imagined, for the dawn to follow. Tomorrow was going to be a big day and neither of them could afford to spend their hours unwisely, but if these were to be their last hours, then there was nowhere better to be. When was the last time he had kissed her like this, the act almost savage. His need withered, replaced by frustration at the thought of duty that weighed him down. Rules, risk, and redundancy; Malcolm couldn't gamble their livelihoods for a moment of passion, he had to provide, they had Elsie to think about.
His hand drew up the leg Elyna had raised to wrap about him, and snaked around to rest against the small of her back. “I love you,” he breathed against her jaw. I miss you, he thought, I miss us. Like the tide retreating from the shore, he put enough space between them that the winter cold made itself known again. Malcolm ran his hands down the lengths of Elyna’s arms and took her hands, lifting them to his lips. “I have something for you… will you meet me at my tent?”

[Elyna]

For a brief moment, there was only the sensation of his lips on hers. Then easing over her skin. His hand pressed against the small of her back and the words whispered into the night. Eyes half closed she tilted her head back against the bark. I love you, she replied, silent as she dragged cold air in through parted lips. He left her breathless, limp against the pine with her hair pulled free of its band and left in disarrayed. Mouth swollen with desire, the woman found a smile spreading over her features, “if I didn’t know any better,” she teased and lifted a hand to her hair, freeing it from her fingers, lifting it up and away from her face and tucking it behind her ear, “I would think you were giving me a lewd invitation, Warden.”

Lips brushed her hand and she pulled at the fastening of her jerkin, the leather suddenly too hot and confining. The fasten undone, the jacket fell open and the hit of cold air was enough to sooth the burn of her body, for now. She held his gaze before she lent forward, “I will follow you anywhere,” she repeated her promise and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Even back to your tent,” the smile returned and she slid her fingers from his grasp and turned on her heel. With a backward glance the skyrider slid through the shadows, in the opposite direction to his tent.

The woman felt light, despite the cold air against her chest, her scarf was still wrapped loose around her neck. She circled through the campsite from a distance and approached Malcolms tent directly. There was nothing more suspicious then trying to sneak through a camp full of people, so she made no attempt. Afterall, she was a Captain and tomorrow they had a battle to win. She had every reason to visit the Wardens command post.

Ducking beneath the canvas flap, Elyna picked up flint and tinder, lighting a candle. The tent was as neatly organised as Malcolm’s homes ever were and she scanned the surfaces for an obvious sign, waiting for the man to return. Her gaze roved inevitably to the man’s bed, and she considered the possibility of trying to seduce her lover...until her heart melted.

“Ooooh…” it was a soft sound of delight that she made, as her gaze me that of a pair of warm brown eyes. A long white nose speckled with brown was laid on a pillow. A doleful expression met hers, followed by a whimper. A whip like tail lashed back and forth on the Warden’s bed. The puppy gave an excited wriggle as she approached, drawn to the animal like a moth to her flame. The candle was set aside and she knelt. Fingers curling around the face and the puppy yapped again. If Malcolm had tied it up, it had escaped it’s bonds. The sheets had been wound in a circle and made into a fur covered mess. They smelt of wet dog and…the accidents that puppys make. Elyna bit back her grin but then couldn’t help laughing as the creature wriggled forward, tangled in the blankets. Long pink tongue extended to run over her face. She cringed, laughing as it proceeded to lick her features, growing braver as it fell into her arms and was cuddled. The Skyrider rubbing her face against it, “well hello,” she grinned, “arnt’ you beautiful? You are…you’re the most beautiful princess I have ever seen! Where did you come from? Have you been eating Mal’s pillow?” Another soft giggle. The dog didn’t respond, but grew more excited, whole body wriggling until it yapped again. Trying to curl itself up against her chest.

[Malcolm]

Despite the cold, it took the mortalborn a moment to cool down following the heated exchange, after which he cut a different path through the campsite, arriving a few minutes after Elyna. It seemed she had already met the little red and white spaniel, and the look she gave him saw the man smile, right up until the moment Malcolm realised the puppy had left a little puddle on his pillow. The warden grumbled and tossed his pillow aside, he didn't mind sleeping without one having experienced far less luxury on previous campaigns.
“Do you like her?” he put his hands on Elyna’s shoulders and kissed her cheek before crossing to the small table and chair. “I was talking to the puppy,” Malcolm smirked, obviously teasing. “We came across a farm during our scouting trip this morning and the woman there sold her to me. Someone to keep you warm,” he smiled as if to say ‘at least until I can again’.
For a time he sat, content to watch the two of them, already in love with each other. The lady had assured Malcolm that the animal wouldn't grow too big, but that she was more than strong enough to eat solids now. As a late summer puppy, she was unlucky to be so young during the cold season, but Malcolm had found the dog rather enjoyed the snow, galloping through it in short bursts on their way back.
“You can feed her anything but bones,” he told Elyna. “She's quite good at sniffing things out so be careful what you leave lying around over your end of camp.”

[Elyna]

lklk

The puppy was so intent on being cuddled, and being as close as it could to the skyrider, that because she was crouched awkwardly in front of the bed, Elyna ended up falling over. She landed on her back with a thud on the groundsheet. Delighted, that she was easier to curl up on, the puppy nestled into Elyna’s jacket. Despite the fact, that the puppy was too big, it tried to bury itself underneath her scarf. Laughing, the skyrider wrapped the creature up, tucking her under her arm and sat back up again. With an adoring gaze the puppy continued trying to lick the whole of her face, but sat in the crook of her right arm. Hair made messy yet again, the young woman smiled across at Malcolm. Features flushed with delight.

“She is beautiful,” Elyna admitted breathless. Fingers moved behind the dogs head to smooth away the fur from her features and tickle behind her ears. Another exicted wriggle that had the skyrider grinning. Her own adoration matched by the tiny companion. The whip-like tail lashing against her ribs. It took a few more moments before she realised what Malcolm had said. Dark eyes brightened to a copper hue with delight and she watched him, speechless. If she would admit it to herself, which she wouldn’t, tears pricked the back of her eyes before she looked down and had her face promptly cleaned again.

“For me?” She managed the words, “she’s for me?” Elyna looked up at him once more, she wanted to be certain.

[Malcolm]

Malcolm winked, “don't make me change my mind,” he smirked, and moved to sit on the edge of the bed.
The air inside the tent was so cold that he couldn't smell the damp dog smell that seemed to stick to everything, until he sat bowed, close enough to press a kiss to the top of Elyna’s head. “I hope you like her,” he reached out and pet the dog, scratched behind her ear, and pulled his hand away again. Malcolm's hand didn't get very far, reaching instead for Elyna’s hair, burly fingers raked through her dark tresses.
No, he thought then, he mustn't indulge his urges lest he cave and bid her stay,p. Look but don't touch. After a while he would get used to having her around again, he was sure of that, but for now it was tricky and all too new, following a very trying summer, and dry-spell. “I was going to offer for you to leave her here, but I can see that won't be happening,” he grinned, pleased that Elyna was so smitten with the gift that he was sure would keep on giving, and chewing, and… oh no what had he gotten them into? Malcolm could see it now, the torture of raising a baby and a puppy, double trouble.
He saw Elyna to the tent entrance once it was time for them to part ways, and offered a soft, but sad smile. Tomorrow was going to be stressful, not just because they were both going to be fighting, but because it was possible they may be fighting each other's loved ones. “I'll see you bright and early,” Malcolm promised. “Try and get some sleep,” he encouraged, before whispering goodnight.