Forever is not long enough...

Raising his head, looking down at Spring, Kiril is moved to a depth of emotion he never dreamed of. “I love you, will always love you,” he softly whispers to her. Spring is already asleep. She is at peace.

He had watched all of his companions since joining up with them. He had heard her restlessness night after night. Now for the first time, she seems content. Maybe she will return his love. He prays that it will be so.

And then he remembers her attempt to respond to his endearment in Elven and has to sternly fights the urge to laugh. “It's just too cute!” he thinks to himself, his powerful frame quivering with suppressed laughter. The tremors finally subside, and thankfully without waking her.

“Seriously need to help her with her Elven,” he murmurs lowly to the night. And he lays his head back while reaching for the blanket. Drawing the blanket over them, making sure that she is fully covered from the chill desert night, he warmly kisses the top of her head, his arms wrapping themselves around her. His roughened, calloused hands gently caress her, while he murmurs softly, so softly to her, in Common this time as perhaps she might hear and understand, even while she sleeps.

“My love, forever is not long enough to love you.
I yearn for your kisses, your touch.
Forever is all that I can promise you.
Until the end I shall provide a haven in my arms.
I am yours, my love, forever!”

As he starts to drift off to sleep himself, he prays. “Gozreh, watch this one please. She is special, Iomedae, you who shines your Glory for all to see in the sun, we are under your gaze, Surely you see that her innocence and honesty is worth cherishing, as I do. I beseech thee, grant your Divine blessings to her. Irori, as I seek to perfect my skills, know that it is so I can protect her. Without her, I will have no need, no desire to continue following the Way, extend your hand to her, I humbly ask of you. Nethys, she is of your Arts, And, as I have honored you through my songs, I ask that you extend your protection to her. And lastly Serenrae, your temple is here, and now re-established. I shall do all I can to ensure its sanctity while I may. Perhaps you can lend the aid of one of your angels to keep  watch over her? She is worthy,  more so of any others that I know to receive your aid.”

Hands finally quieting, one cupping a breast, the other resting on her shapely derriere, A smile on his lips, Kiril falls asleep.

But like usual, he wakes a few hours before the sun does. Gently he disengages himself from a still peacefully sleeping Spring. Tucking her securely under the blanket, he places a kiss on her lips.

Gathering his sword, and putting on his pants, he looks at the sleeping forms of Pendalan and Connie, whispering a soft, “Sorry,” to them, as he remembers the ruckus that Spring and he produced during the evening. Not at all sorry that they had become lovers, but at the disturbance that their activities would have caused.

Looking up, he sees Blaze watching him from the top of the southern courtyard wall. “Watch her carefully please. Come to me if there is trouble.”

Kiril then leaves, moving through the quiet building as quietly as he can, which is quiet indeed.

A few minutes later, when he is outside in his usual training area, he strips back down, and scrubs himself clean with sand, before gracefully folding down to a lotus position.

He meditates, prepares himself for his exercises. Once he has achieved a suitable state of mind, he literally explodes out of his position on the ground, and moving at full speed, slashes out at an imaginary foe. And he continues, whirling, tumbling, flowing. One move begets another, His style of combat, that of a series of flowing movements, and lethal strikes. As he has already proven, the style is very effective. What he hits, knows it was hit. If it survives, of course. But as Jessaril had also told him, this need to always be moving necessitates light armors only, so he himself, though elusive, just won't have much protection from return blows from a hard pressed melee.

Thinking of Jess, he says to himself. “Blessing to you Jess. Your teaching me the crafts of war are paying off. And your patience in teaching me how to make love to a woman, well, priceless. You did say that there was someone special waiting to be found. Well, I found her. You'd like her Jess. And she is special. Very special. Beautiful, warm, loving. A little to trusting perhaps, but gifted with a wit and intelligence while still being fragile. All together a mixture of naive innocence and no-nonsense approach to solving problems. And I already know that I will give my life up, if it keep her alive and well. Yes Jess, you were right yet again. I did find her. I do not yet know if she will return my love, but she owns mine.”

Standing still now, still naked, Kiril looks at the red tinged but slowly, if steadily, lightening darkness in the Eastern sky, he prepares to greet the the rising sun. And he is smiling.

o0o